


The Tragic Tale of Loki and Sigyn

by Missfoodie2shoes



Series: Foodie's Marvel Stories [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Religion & Lore, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Angry Nick Fury, Angst, Asgard, BAMF Sigyn, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood, Connecticut - Freeform, Culture difference, F/F, F/M, Fake Character Death, Friendship, Gen, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Has Issues, Loki's Kids, Loki-centric, M/M, Mating, Mischief, Miðgarðr | Midgard, Multi, Next Generation, Odin's A+ Parenting, Parent Frigga, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Protective Bruce Banner, Soul Bond, Tragic Romance, hiding out, multi-generation, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 22:04:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 31
Words: 172,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4496433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missfoodie2shoes/pseuds/Missfoodie2shoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki, Sigyn, and their relationship is shrouded in mystery in mythology. Not much has ever been said about their married life. I have decided to tell the story in my own way. I will mix together mythology, the Marvel comic world, and the Marvel movie world as well as throw in my own unique take on it. The story starts in their childhood and will continue on through the very end...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

 

Young Thor and his friends raced through the labyrinthine halls of Odin’s palace, shouting and bellowing as they ran. Thor held in his hands a carved wooden replica of his father’s mighty hammer, Mjolnir. “Someday I shall rule all of Asgard!” he cried as they stopped running. They were approaching the great forge, the vast area where all the weapons were made by the smiths. It was one of the group’s favorite places to visit. Trying to sneak in, and watching the smiths as they worked on the various weaponry, without getting caught was a thrill that never grew old. Sometimes, one of the children would manage to steal a small item without any of the smiths noticing, but most often the visits ended with them being marched out of the room and forbidden to return.

That day was no different from any of the other times the children had snuck in. Thor led the way, followed by his band of faithful friends, and rounding out the group was Thor’s younger brother, Loki. Loki was younger and much smaller than the other children, but Thor permitted him to play with them anyway.

Thor and his friends began to wander around, looking for things to steal, while Loki glanced around the forge, trying to find out where the smiths were. It wouldn’t do to walk right into one and spoil everybody’s fun so early on. Fortunately, the smiths were all at the far end of the room, with their backs turned. They wouldn’t notice the children. Loki turned and began to look at the ornately detailed swords and shields and wondered if one day he might wield one in battle.

He was standing next to a pile of newly forged shields when he saw a girl out of the corner of his eye. Thor and his friends saw her at the same time as well. Sigyn, the daughter of Kjell, the head smith, often worked with her father at the forge. Loki turned and looked at her for a moment. She had long blonde hair, held back in a leather queue to keep it out of her face. Her cheeks were bright pink from the heat of the fires she had been near recently. In her hands she held a shield to be added to the large pile next to Loki.

Thor swept in and grabbed the shield, trying to take it out of her hands. “Little Sigyn,” he smirked. “Give me that shield.” He tugged on it, but Sigyn held fast.

“No! Father told me to put it with the others,” she exclaimed. “You get out of here, Thor, you aren’t allowed in the forge!”

Thor scowled at Sigyn and tried another tactic. He pushed her, hard, sending her and the shield flying backward. Both fell to the floor with a clatter. He stepped over the younger girl and bent down to grab the shield. “Now I am the mightiest!” he crowed to his cheering friends, holding the shield aloft in one hand, and the wooden hammer in the other.

Sigyn pushed herself up to a seated position on the floor. “You give that back, Thor!” she cried angrily, tears pouring down her cheeks. She slowly stood up, and faced him, but he was much bigger than she was, and showed no sign of concern.

Thor’s friends moved to surround her and began taunting her. “She’s so tiny! Can she really be an Asgardian? Perhaps she was stolen from Midgard!” Hogun sneered.

“And she’s wearing boy’s clothes! Does she think she’s a boy?” Fandral cried, referring to the protective clothing she wore to keep herself safe from the fires and heat of the metal.

The lone girl in the group, standing next to the boy and also wearing boy’s clothing, punched him on the arm. “Watch your tongue, Fandral!” she growled.

Fandral rubbed his arm and frowned. “Sorry, Siff,” he mumbled.

Sigyn continued to cry quietly while the others teased her. Thor finally spoke, breaking through the other’s taunts. “You know, one day I’m going to be king and you are going to have to show me a little more respect. When I ask for something, you give it to me. That is how it works, serving girl.”

Loki was unsure how to handle the situation. He was no bigger than Sigyn and was unable to use brute force to fight off Thor and his group of followers. He had learned the hard way in the past that it was not worth it to try. He quietly and quickly ran to the door of the forge and looked outside for a guard. Within seconds he found one, and commanded him to summon Frigga. Loki hoped his mother would give Thor a good thrashing this time. He always seemed to get away with his terrible behavior, but this time might be different.

Thor was still in the middle of his dressing down of Sigyn when Frigga arrived. Loki stood back to the side in order to see the entire confrontation from a good angle. “Thor, what is going on here?” Frigga demanded, placing her hands on her hips and frowning. She grabbed Thor by the ear and pulled him away from Sigyn and his friends. “I was in the midst of planning for the grand banquet in a fortnight when I was summoned to stop whatever trouble you have started. I demand an answer!”

Frigga’s yelling had drawn the attention of the smiths at the far end of the room. They came over to see what was happening. When Sigyn’s father saw his daughter looking distressed, he rushed over to her. “What is the matter, girl?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her protectively. “What trouble have you started?”

“All I wanted was to look at the shield the girl was holding, and she wouldn’t give it to me,” Thor told his mother sullenly while everybody in the room listened.

“Was it your shield?” Frigga asked.

“No, mother.”

“And how did you come to get the shield?”

Thor sighed and looked at his feet. “I pushed her to the floor and took it from her.”

“You used force against a small, unarmed girl? Does that seem the mark of a brave warrior to you?”

“No, mother.”

“Does that sound like the mark of a good and just king?”

“No, mother.”

“Have you ever seen Odin or myself treat any of those who serve us in such a fashion?”

“No, mother.”

Frigga sighed and shook her head. “Thor, I am very disappointed in you. Now, I want you to apologize, and then you will say farewell to your friends for the rest of the day. You will spend the remainder of the day with me as I plan out the banquet, where I know you won’t cause any more trouble.”

Thor sighed and turned towards Sigyn. “I apologize for pushing you and stealing the shield and taunting you.” He mumbled the words, but Sigyn understood them.

“I accept your apology,” she replied graciously. They bowed to one another, signifying the end of the conflict.

Frigga stepped over and shook the head smith’s hand. “Kjell, I trust there are no hard feelings,” she said with a courteous smile.

“None, my lady,” Kjell replied with a deep bow.

Frigga turned and smiled kindly down at Sigyn. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, my son will no longer trouble you,” she assured her before patting her on the head. Frigga straightened up and turned to leave. “Come Thor.” Thor slowly followed after his mother, the rest of his friends trailing after him.

Only Loki remained behind. He had relished every moment of Frigga’s interaction with Thor. That Thor was being made to do women’s work for the rest of the day was an even more enjoyable thought as well. It served him right.

Kjell smiled at his daughter before returning to his duties. The two children were alone. Sigyn bit her lip for a moment. “You’re Loki, aren’t you? Thor’s brother?” she asked shyly.

Loki frowned and rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately,” he replied. He looked carefully into Sigyn’s warm brown eyes and felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He did his best to ignore it, but then she smiled at him. Nobody usually smiled at Loki. Nobody paid much attention to him in general. But Sigyn was looking right at him, and smiling. He didn’t know how to react.

“You must be very patient to put up with your brother,” she commented.

Loki shrugged his shoulders. “He’s dumb,” he replied.

Sigyn nodded her head. “I saw you run out to summon your mother,” she said. “That was very brave of you to do that. I am forever in your debt for helping me today.”

Loki willed himself not to blush. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “It was nothing,” he said gruffly.

“Oh but it was!” Sigyn replied before appearing to not know what to say next. A minute passed before she spoke again “Well…If you like, you can visit here again some time. I could show you how the weapons are made. You could even design one if you wanted…”

Loki looked at her. His heart raced before he summoned the energy to shake his head again. “I…I…don’t need a girl whose father works for mine as a friend,” he replied quickly. Satisfied that he had regained control of his feelings, he turned and ran out of the weapons forge, leaving Sigyn biting her lip once more.

Sigyn watched sadly as Loki ran away from her. She had been so close to making a friend. She didn’t have many friends, and Loki seemed like he would have been a good one. With a sigh, she returned to her task of stacking shields.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn are growing up and cross paths once again after several years apart.

Loki was a young man the next time he saw Sigyn. She was even prettier than he remembered. She was still smaller than most Asgardian women, but seeing as he was smaller than most Asgardian men, he didn’t mind that at all. She had started to dress as a proper maiden since the last time he’d seen her in the weapons forge some years back. She had also left her father’s side and begun proper women’s work. Loki saw her passing through the hallways of the palace, carrying trays of food to the dining halls, or empty dishes back to the kitchens. She never looked at him, always keeping her eyes averted, as was proper for a woman of her station, but once in a while, he wished he could look into those soft brown eyes he remembered as a child.

One day, in the Grand Hall, Loki and Thor sat together eating their midday meal. Loki watched as Sigyn filled mugs of ale for the diners around him. She was at the far end of the table, moving slowly towards him. Thor saw his brother’s attention was divided, and glanced over to see what he was looking at. “Brother, I have noticed your gaze rest upon little Sigyn more than once since she began to serve the halls. She has remained quite fair over the years, has she not?”

Loki cleared his throat and took a bite of his bread to keep from having to answer.

Thor smiled knowingly and nodded his head. “I can see why she catches your eye,” he continued. “She is just your size and very pleasing to look upon. Have you had her yet?”

Loki wished his brother would stop talking, but knew that was a rare feat for him. His mind raced for a way to change the subject. “How did your sparring practice with Fandral go?” he asked, trying to sound interested.

Thor waved his brother off. “I won, as usual,” he replied, his eyes still on Sigyn. “So, you haven’t had her yet? You should. Just summon her to your chambers and enjoy her pleasures. She’s a servant, brother, that is what she is here for.” He looked at Loki, grinning. “I’ll bet she’s still a maiden. You could be her first. I’ve been told that being deflowered by a Prince of Asgard is quite a privilege…”

Loki did his best to ignore his brother’s crudeness, but found it difficult to do so. “Brother please, let us speak of other things,” he implored.

Thor clapped a hand on Loki’s shoulder, sending a jolt of pain shooting through his body. “Oho, I see,” Thor said jovially. “You have not yet lain with a woman. Brother, what are you waiting for? There are many winsome women available to us. You should not restrain yourself.”

Loki glared at Thor. His studies kept him much too occupied for such base concerns. And it wasn’t as though women were clamoring to be with him. He had come to accept that he was not considered desirable by the women of Asgard, when compared to the many strong and muscular men of the realm, such as his brother. Thor had more than his fair share of maidens desiring his attention, and he always did his very best to pay his affections to each of them in turn.

Sigyn finally approached them and Loki felt his throat grow dry suddenly. His heart pounded, but he kept his face impassive. “Little Sigyn,” Thor said with a wide grin as she poured ale into his mug. “You have grown up well. It is a pleasure to see you here in the halls, instead of the weapons forge.”

Sigyn smiled shyly. “Thank you, Thor. It is good to be here. My father decided it was time I did women’s work so—”

“Yes, I quite agree with him,” Thor interrupted. “A forge is no place for a fair maiden such as yourself. You want to keep your hands soft and delicate, do you not?”

“Yes, I suppose I—”

“Do you remember my brother Loki?” Thor interrupted a second time, pointing to his brother.

Sigyn glanced at Loki and her cheeks flushed crimson. “I do,” she replied with a smile, “very well.”

Loki tapped a finger against his leg, trying to wish everybody around him away.

“Brother, say hello to little Sigyn, all grown up, in all the right ways,” Thor commanded, elbowing Loki in the ribs.

Loki sighed and looked up at the girl. “Good day to you, Sigyn Kjellsdottir,” he said politely. “You are looking well today.”

“Good day to you Loki,” Sigyn replied. “You are looking well too.”

Thor glanced back and forth at the two. “Sigyn, I would request that you serve Loki his supper tonight, in his chambers. He is very busy with his studies and does not always stop to eat. He is far too thin, would you not agree?”

“I think Loki looks quite healthy. You need not be so concerned for his health. Though, I will gladly serve him his supper tonight.” She smiled sweetly at Loki.

Loki felt uncomfortable over the attention, and wanted nothing more than to disappear. His opportunity arrived as Sigyn handed him a fresh mug of ale. He allowed the mug to slip out of his grip, causing it to fall to the table and spill onto his tunic. Sigyn gasped in horror and tried to help him with a rag, but he jumped up from the table before she could reach him. “Clumsy servant!” he cried as he wiped himself off. “Away with you!” He stormed out of the hall a moment later, using a simple spell to vanish the beer from his clothing as soon as he left the room. He hoped that would be the end of it, for he hated how unsettled Sigyn made him feel.

(SCENE)

Later that evening, Loki was once again immersed in his books. He was trying to perfect a very complex replication spell that would allow him to create multiple projections of himself. It was very advanced and he had yet to do it correctly. He was startled out of his reading by a knock on the door. “What is it?” he called out crossly, slamming his book shut. “Enter!” He groaned quietly as he saw Sigyn on the other side of the door when it opened. She had a tray of food that she held in one hand, and kept balanced against her hip. After closing the door, she moved the tray so both hands held onto it tightly.

“Your brother asked me to bring you your supper, remember?” she reminded him while walking over to the chair he was sitting in. “He asked me to stay with you until you were finished and make certain you ate everything. He is terribly concerned for your health.”

Loki rolled his eyes while turning to a small table by a window that he usually breakfasted at. “Set it there,” he instructed, following slowly behind her. He seated himself at the table while Sigyn set the dishes in front of him. She had brought enough food for three men! There was no way he would be able to eat all of it. There was soup, a plate full of meat, a platter of fruit, another plate of cheese, and an entire loaf of bread, as well as more beer. “Would you care to join me?” he heard himself blurt out.

“Oh, I shouldn’t, I’m just a serving girl…” Sigyn protested.

“I insist. This is far more food than I can eat. It would be a shame to waste it.” He stood up and moved over to hold out the other chair for her. She sat down, no longer protesting. He sat down and began to fill a plate with food. He handed it to her, trying to ignore the sensation of her fingertips brushing against his hands as she took it from him. That fluttering feeling in his stomach that he’d experienced as a child, returned. In an effort to ignore it, he began to eat, as well as talk. They engaged in a light conversation. He inquired after her father and got to know her better, but the entire time, he directed his gaze out the window. The soft brown eyes he could feel looking at him, were something he willed himself not to look at. If he did, he feared he’d lose himself in them, and in her. The meal passed slowly, dreadfully slowly for him, but finally the food was gone and he ran out of questions.

“I should return to the kitchens,” Sigyn said as she gathered the dishes onto the tray. “They’ll be wondering where I’ve gone if I don’t return soon.” Loki stood up as she began to leave. “I have enjoyed this; I hope you have a good evening,” she said in parting.

Loki nodded his head and walked her to the door. Thankfully it was all over and she was leaving him to his peace and quiet. He opened the door for her, politely, and as she brushed past him, he found himself saying something he never thought he would have. “You’ll deliver my supper tomorrow as well, will you not?”

Sigyn turned and looked up into his face, looking surprised. She smiled and nodded her head. “If you like,” she replied.

Loki nodded his head once. “Yes, well, I shall expect you tomorrow. Good evening.” With that, he shut the door, and spent the rest of his evening wondering what was happening to him.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn enjoy the ups and downs of a first love. Loki must deal with a family that doesn't approve. He will handle it in true Loki fashion.

And so it came to pass that Sigyn brought Loki his supper every evening, and stayed to help him eat it as well. Over the months, Loki found in Sigyn great integrity, which he valued highly. She never told another soul what they spoke of while eating. She became his confidante, the only person he trusted to tell about the training he’d been doing in the magical arts. Sigyn delighted in everything he demonstrated for her. He found her smiles and applause to be the most encouragement he’d ever gotten before. What little his family knew about his love for magic, they responded with hostility and disapproval.

The first time he succeeded with the replication spell, it was while Sigyn was in his chambers watching. He managed to create four replicas of himself, and surrounded Sigyn with them. “Oh Loki!” she cried while turning around in a circle to look at each one. “This is wondrous! Are they real? Are they flesh and bone?” She reached a hand out to touch one, and gasped when it went right through the Loki in front of her. She sat down on a bench and looked up at the images with a grin on her face.

Loki broke off his concentration, and the four images disappeared a moment later. “They are merely images, though they look as though they are real,” he explained as he sat down on the bench next to her. He looked into her pretty face and smiled. He had grown more comfortable around her, allowing himself to enjoy her attention and affections a bit more, though he still tried his best to maintain control at all times.

“Loki, you have such a talent for magic. I have not seen anything like it,” Sigyn said while reaching out and placing her hand on his. “You always amaze me.”

Loki looked down at her hand. It was soft and delicate. He shifted his hand to take hers properly, then smiled and gazed into her eyes. “Sigyn, you inspire me to work the hardest I’ve ever worked before.” His heart started to pound and he was concerned that his palm might be sweating, but she either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He decided it was time to take control of his relationship with her. It was time to take the next step. With a deep breath, he leaned in to kiss her.

Before he could press his lips to hers, though, his chamber door opened and Thor rushed into the room. “Brother, I have been looking for you. Mother wishes…” He stopped in front of them and grinned as Sigyn jumped up from the bench with a gasp. She hurried over to the table where the dinner dishes were and began to gather them onto her tray. “Brother what is going on?” he asked, the grin appearing to be stuck onto his face. Sigyn ran out of the room, leaving the two brothers alone. “Loki, have you been enjoying little Sigyn’s pleasures? I told you you would enjoy it, did I not?”

“Brother, I have requested that you announce yourself before entering my chambers. You interrupted us!” Loki stood up and glared at Thor. “What is it you needed?”

“Mother requests your presence. I know not what she wants.”

Loki groaned and rolled his eyes. “Very well, let us go see what she needs.”

Frigga was seated at a table in her chambers when the brothers arrived. “Ah, Loki, I am glad that you have arrived so quickly. I have some matters to discuss with you.”

“Mother, I have reason to believe that our Loki here, is in love,” Thor interrupted in a teasing manner. “I happened to walk in upon him and the object of his affections just now in his chambers.”

Loki felt as though he had been hit in the face. Thor always ruined everything for him. The special, even sacred, secret love he had with Sigyn was nobody’s business but his. There were times that Loki wished he could do something to really hurt Thor, and this was one of those times.

Frigga looked fondly at Loki. “Is this true, my son? Do you have a young maiden who has captured your heart? I had thought we would have more time before making an official betrothal contract for you, but perhaps the time has arrived. Who is this maiden?”

“There is nobody, mother,” Loki replied calmly, trying to hide his true feelings. “Thor is jesting. He finds it funny to try and make you think this. Apparently my usual lack of appeal amongst the maidens here is source for amusement…”

“Oh, Loki, do not speak so of yourself,” Frigga said with a frown. “You are terribly handsome. I know for a fact that there are many maidens here who would care for you greatly. You must spend more time getting to know them, that is all. You will never find a wife if you spend all your hours in your chambers reading books.”

“But brother, I saw you, you were about to kiss Sigyn,” Thor said, not dropping the subject. “Mother, you remember little Sigyn?”

“Sigyn Kjellsdottir? The serving girl from the kitchens?” Frigga looked at Loki, furrowing her brow. “Son, is this true? Have you become entangled with her?”

“No mother, she merely delivers my supper, that is all.”

“I advised him to have his way with her and be done with it, but the way they looked, I fear it must be love, mother,” Thor said, shaking his head sadly.

Frigga sighed and looked sad when she spoke. “Loki…You are a prince of Asgard. Odin has many plans for your future, none of which include a betrothal to a serving girl. Now, have your pleasures with her as you will, and cast her aside, as Thor advised. She will not be a part of your future life.”

Loki had not thought much about the future, and who he would be wedded to one day. He had only thought of the next evening to come when Sigyn would arrive with his supper. It was all he wanted at the moment. “What sort of plans does father have for me?” he asked cautiously. Odin rarely paid any attention to him. He couldn’t imagine that the man had grand plans for him. Thor was the apple of Odin’s eye, not Loki.

“You will have to speak to him about them. He does not confide in me about such matters,” Frigga frowned and reached out to touch his hand. “Son, your hand is ice cold. Come stand by the fire. I do apologize to be so candid about your future. It would not do to pursue something that can never be. I am sure that Kjell is at this moment seeking to form a betrothal contract for Sigyn with somebody more suitable for her station. This is the way of things. Perhaps you could take her on as a lover after you are wedded, but it could never be more than that. I can speak with Odin about this if you wish, and we could form a betrothal contract now. There are certainly many eligible maidens who would make a good wife for you. Would you like that?”

Loki shook his head, trying to think of a way out of his predicament. “No, thank you mother; I do not feel the need for that as of yet,” he said quietly. “But perhaps Thor is ready for such an undertaking. He is the eldest after all, and should be the first to be wedded.” Thor glared at him, but he smirked and continued. “He should not have trouble finding somebody who wishes to be wedded to him, for he is very popular with all the maidens. Of course, the problem will be finding one who is still _actually_ a maiden. Thor does have a way with women. In fact, I find it rather shocking that he has not yet fathered several bastards by now. Most likely he has, but the poor girls keep it a secret.”

Frigga looked at Thor and frowned. “Thor! I hope you are not taking advantage of the maidens. It is one thing if they wish to be with you, but if you are taking any sort of liberties with them…”

“No mother, of course not,” Thor quickly assured his mother. “I would never take liberties with any of the maidens. I cannot help it if they all desire me…”

Frigga smiled. “I am glad to hear this,” she replied. “Now, let us return to the business at hand…” She changed the subject, but Loki paid very little attention. His thoughts were on Sigyn and the sad reality that the trust and confidence he found in her would be forced to come to an end. He realized now that he enjoyed her presence in his life so much that the thought of it ending felt unbearable.

The next evening, Loki was upset again when Sigyn did not come to his chambers with his supper. Another serving woman had come in her place. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir sends her apologies and asked me to tell you that she can no longer bring you your food. She has been assigned as one of Frigga’s handmaids and will not be working in the kitchens any longer.”

Loki was filled with rage and sent the servant away quickly. How could Frigga do this to him? Why did everybody in his family so actively attempt to ruin anything he enjoyed in life? After eating a quick meal, he hurried off to his mother’s chambers.

Sigyn was there, standing next to Frigga, brushing the older woman’s hair when he arrived. Loki tried not to look at her, but failed. When Frigga noticed this, she dismissed Sigyn for the night. “You may go now, girl. You have done very well today.” Sigyn gave a polite bow and left the room, but dared to steal a glance at Loki as she went. The plaintive look on her face nearly broke his heart.

“Mother, why have you done this?” he asked as calmly as possible, once Sigyn had left.

“Because it was for the best,” Frigga replied practically. “I know you, Loki. You would not be able to give up your infatuation with the girl, and it simply cannot be. It is better this way. Now you will not see her in the dining halls, nor will she be able to tempt you by visiting your chambers. And you should also know that I have given generously to Kjell to aid in securing her dowry. He shall be able to fund a better betrothal contract for her now. Perhaps to one of your father’s warriors. It would be a great honor for Sigyn to marry one and bear him many sons.”

“Mother, how could you do this to me?”

“Loki, you are young. These are the first passions of love you have ever felt. It is raw and overwhelming your senses. You are not able to think clearly. As your mother, it is my duty to help you through this time. One day you will understand and even see the wisdom of my decisions. And I have handled this situation without getting your father involved. Be grateful for that, at the very least.”

Loki shook his head sadly. “And you will never understand what you have done to me,” he replied. “I will take my leave of you now, for I do not wish to be in your presence at the moment.” With as much dignity as he could muster, he gave his mother a scathing glare and left her chambers, slamming the door shut as loudly as possible on his way out.

How was he going to get in contact with Sigyn now that Frigga was controlling everything? She had designed it purposefully so they would not be allowed to interact unless she was present. He could not even write to Sigyn to explain things, for he knew she could not read. He had hoped to have the time one day to teach her himself, but that was not to happen now.

Several miserable weeks passed, with Thor doing his best to cheer up Loki, but to no avail. Loki stopped eating and sleeping, and only his magic soothed his frayed nerves. Rumors reached him that Sigyn had formed a betrothal contract with Theoric, one of Odin’s warriors. They were to be married in a year’s time. He felt as though his heart would stop whenever somebody spoke of it.

One day, he finally managed to perfect a variation of the replication spell where he created projections of another person other than himself. He created a perfect replica of Sigyn. As he gazed at her, a thought formed in his mind of how he could finally have a chance to speak with the real Sigyn.

A couple days later, Loki visited Frigga for the first time since storming out of her chambers. “I felt it was time to make amends, mother,” he said to Frigga while sitting in a chair across from her. Sigyn stood behind Frigga, ready to assist her in anything she might need.

“Loki, I am glad you have finally understood my decisions,” Frigga replied. “I love you terribly. Odin might complain that I coddle you too much, but I do not agree with him. I think I coddle you just enough.”

Loki smiled at her joke. “Your coddling has made me who I am today,” he replied in kind. “I want to compliment you on how fair you look. The green of your dress quite suits your complexion.”

“Thank you, Loki,” Frigga replied, looking fondly at her son. She took a sip of her wine and Loki carefully sent a spell to the glass to fall out of her hands and spill onto her dress. She gasped and quickly stood up. “My hand slipped…” she said. “I shall have to change my clothes. I will be back in a moment.” She turned to leave the room, and Sigyn began to follow her.

“Shall I assist you, my lady?” she asked.

“No, I shall be quick. You may remain here,” Frigga replied before exiting the room, leaving Loki alone with Sigyn.

Loki looked to see that Frigga was fully out of the room before standing up. He concentrated on Sigyn while performing his replication spell. She gasped in surprise as a perfect copy of herself appeared at her side. “Loki, what…?”

He held his hand out. “Come with me,” he whispered with a devilish grin.

Sigyn hesitated for only a moment before smiling, walking over to him and placing her hand in his. “Where will we go?” she whispered as he pulled her towards the door.

“What does it matter? Vanaheim? Midgard? Jotunheim? I care not…” Loki shut the door behind them quietly so Frigga would not hear. “We shall be together, that is all that matters.” As his heart pounded, and the nervous fluttering in his stomach returned, he felt a rush of power and excitement course through his veins. Nobody would think him a child any longer.

“But Loki, I am betrothed now, what shall happen if I do not honor the contract?”

“It does not matter, Sigyn, for we shall never return to this place.” He continued to pull her through the halls, and felt elated when she began to run faster, keeping pace with him.

They ran, hand-in-hand, towards Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, the last of the barriers to get past. Once they were free of the palace, the rest of their lives would truly begin.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn are running away to start a new life together somewhere far from Asgard. Nature, however, has something different in store for them. Their lives change forever in an instant, and the future of Asgard is altered, unbeknownst to anybody.

Loki and Sigyn ran until they reached Heimdall. As always, he was standing guard at the end of the Bifrost. “Good Heimdall, will you let us pass?” Loki asked politely while catching his breath from all the running he’d just done.

Heimdall looked at the two young lovers and frowned. “This is folly,” he replied bluntly. “Your mother has already sent word that you are not to be permitted to leave without her permission. It seems she suspected something like this might occur.”

Loki gripped Sigyn’s hand and pulled her close to his side. “But you cannot stand in our way! I am a prince of Asgard!”

“And Frigga is queen…I cannot disobey her orders. Shall I send for her? Or perhaps Odin?”

“No! Odin need not be involved in this.” Loki let go of Sigyn’s hand and folded his arms. He began to pace, trying to think of the best way around this. “Heimdall, can you see my mother now? What is she doing?”

Heimdall glanced over towards the palace. “Frigga has already discovered your disappearance, and has grown angered. She has sent Thor here to retrieve you. You have mere minutes before he shall arrive…”

Loki felt panic welling up inside him. There was no escape from this prison in which he lived. At the moment, he didn’t care if he lived or not, he just wanted to be left to his own devices. He moved away from Sigyn and Heimdall and walked to the edge of the Bifrost. It would be so easy to step off the bridge and let himself fall. What would happen if he did? Would he fall into the water and sink? Or would the current carry him to the waterfall where he would plummet into the ether? What was beyond this realm? Would you survive such a fall?

“Loki, do not be so hasty,” Heimdall called out to him. “Return to my side, and we shall discuss the matter at hand at more length.”

Loki looked over at Heimdall, and heard hoof beats approaching on his other side. Thor. “Brother, you would do well not to approach me!” he called out to Thor, turning to glare at the older boy. “I am not returning to the palace!”

Thor stopped several feet from Loki, and dismounted from his horse. “Mother wishes to speak with you, Loki, that is all. She is concerned for you,” he said earnestly. He had a fearful look on his face. “Please, step away from the edge, and let us talk.”

“You all speak of wishing to talk and knowing what is best for me, but what you really mean to do is control me! _I_ control my life! _I_ control my destiny! It is mine to choose, not yours! Not Frigga’s! Not Odin’s!”

“Loki! Please do not harm yourself,” Sigyn cried. She had been standing next to Heimdall, but found the courage to try to help, for she loved Loki with all of her heart. Loki could feel this inside himself, as though he had felt it himself. “I do not wish to see you come to harm! Perhaps we can never be together as we would wish, but just knowing you are safe and well would give me the strength to carry on. Would it not strengthen you as well?”

Loki turned to look at her, and emitted a sob. Her look of fear was enough to make him step away from the edge of the bridge. Sigyn ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Oh, my Loki, my love,” she whispered in his ear. “My clever trickster. My friend.” She moved her hands up to his face, cupping his chin and looking into his eyes. “Let us return to the palace. Let us speak with your mother. Maybe…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes suddenly dilated. She gasped, and then cried out.

Loki had been looking into Sigyn’s eyes when he felt the familiar fluttering in his stomach. It was nearly overwhelming, and he thought he might become ill, when suddenly he felt his eyes grow unfocused and his throat tightened. He clasped at his throat, feeling panicked as he couldn’t breathe. Sigyn appeared to have the same problem, and he could feel her fear as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Thor, his face dark with concern, walking towards them.

After what felt like an eternity, Loki felt his throat open, allowing air into his lungs, and it was the sweetest thing he had ever experienced. It was the last thing he felt before the world around him grew dark.

Thor had nearly reached his brother’s side when both Loki and Sigyn collapsed, their bodies convulsing. “Heimdall, what is happening?” he cried, touching Loki’s skin. It nearly burned his fingers.

“I cannot abandon my post,” Heimdall called out. “You must take them to the healing rooms, and hurry! I shall alert them of your arrival.”

Thor scooped up both Sigyn and Loki and carried them as though they were infants, to his horse. He carefully mounted, settling the struggling figures in against him tightly before taking off back to the palace.

(SCENE)

Loki occupied one bed in the healing room, and Sigyn the one next to it. The healers noted that they seemed less agitated when they were physically closer to one another. Frigga held her son’s hand as Thor kept an arm around her shoulders. Kjell, the weapons smith, was at his daughter’s bedside. “Do you know what has happened to them?” Frigga asked, wiping a tear from her eye, though her voice betrayed no fear.

The elder healer, who was consulting a book, looked at her and shook his head. “Their symptoms don’t match anything we’ve been able to find so far. And the fact that both of them were struck with the exact same affliction could indicate either some sort of poison might have been ingested, or some sort of enchantment has befallen them.”

“Who would poison or enchant them?” Thor asked, looking puzzled. He had explained to the healers three times what had transpired on the Bifrost, and seemed to be exhausted.

The healers were still consulting their texts when Odin arrived. “How is Loki? How is my son?” he asked Frigga in greeting. He walked over to the other side of his son’s bed and placed a hand on Loki’s forehead. “Has he not yet stirred or awoken?”

“No, he has been in this state since I arrived,” Frigga replied. “But Thor says he was convulsing earlier, so he is somewhat improved.”

“Such a turn of events,” Odin murmured.

“My lady, will you tell me the nature of the relationship between Loki and the girl?” the elder healer asked. “It seems to be an important point. I feel the cause of this might be connected to them somehow.”

Frigga sighed. “Loki was much taken with Sigyn. He reacted badly when I informed him that such a match would never be permitted. He grew sullen and rebellious and they were attempting to run away when this occurred.”

The healer tapped his chin contemplatively. “A love sickness of some sort, perhaps,” he replied.

Odin looked skeptical. “A love sickness?” he asked.

The healer returned to consulting his texts, leaving the families to themselves. Frigga continued to hold Loki’s hand, and murmured words of love to him, while Thor and Odin watched in silence.

Several hours passed before Loki’s eyes fluttered open again. He moaned, shaking his head and struggled to sit up. “Loki! Calm down, and let me help you,” Frigga said, leaning over to help her son.

At the same time, Sigyn awoke and her father helped her into a sitting position. Both of the ailing youngsters looked wild-eyed and disoriented. The healers rushed over to them and examined each one in turn. “Can you tell us what happened?” the elder healer asked.

Loki looked around the room, staring at his family’s faces. He could see them clearly, but it felt as though he was seeing them through someone else’s eyes, not his. He could hear Sigyn crying out for him, but when he looked at her, he saw that she was not moving her mouth, not saying anything. And there were other voices he could hear. Small, like echoes in his mind. They were not voices he recognized, yet they were familiar somehow. “What do you want?” he called out to them. “Where are you?”

“Loki, what are you talking about? Who are you speaking to?” Frigga asked, looking worried.

Suddenly, Sigyn clapped her hands to her ears and screamed. “Make them stop!” she cried before thrashing her arms out as if to ward off somebody in front of her.

“What is happening?” Odin demanded forcefully. “Have they both gone mad?”

One of the healers ran over to the elder and showed him a passage from one of the texts. They remained in conference for several minutes before approaching Odin. “Have you ever heard of the condition known as ‘Sjalsfrande’?”

Odin’s eyes grew wide and he looked first at Loki, then at Sigyn. “It cannot be…” he murmured. “Sjalsfrande is but a myth, is it not?”

“It is very rare,” the elder agreed, “but it has been known to happen.” He looked at Sigyn and frowned. “The circumstances must be precisely timed, but no doubt there were symptoms for some time. They would merely have confused them for feelings of love, however.”

“So Loki was never in love with Sigyn?” Frigga asked.

“Possibly, or he may have had feelings for her that were enhanced because of this.”

“What is Sjalsfrande? What does it entail?” Thor asked.

“Sjalsfrande is when the souls of two people fuse together. It is a rather violent and painful process, according to the texts. A piece of Loki’s soul has ripped itself apart from the rest and fused itself to Sigyn’s soul, and a piece of her soul has done the same to his. Those pieces are irrevocably connected to one another. And what is more, the fused pieces of their souls split again into smaller shards and created unique souls apart from their own. This would be the voices they seem to hear in their minds. There appears to be at least two.”

Frigga looked horrified and sat down next to Loki, who was babbling quietly to the voices in his head. She wrapped her arms around him and looked back at the healer. “What can be done?”

“Sjalsfrande always results in another soul being created. These newly-created souls need bodies of their own to attach themselves to. Once they have their own bodies, they will abandon the minds of their parents. Until then, they will continue to maintain their hold on them, draining them of their sanity.” The elder healer took a deep breath before continuing. “However, the fusion of Loki and Sigyn’s souls is permanent. They will always remain bound to one another. But they should find that their minds and lives return mostly to normal once they are freed. They will always have a closeness to one another, however. The depth of this varies, and there is no way to tell yet how closely they shall remain bound.”

“What do you mean that the newly-formed souls need bodies of their own?” Thor asked, frowning.

“Sigyn’s body is at the stage in her fertility cycle where she is prepared to conceive a child. This is why Sjalsfrande always results in the creation of another soul. It can only take place when the female is ready to conceive. The soul is formed just in time to find a body to inhabit. Your brother and the girl must lie together and conceive the bodies for the souls. In short, Sigyn must bear Loki’s children.”

“They are but children themselves,” Odin protested, folding his arms and furrowing his brow.

“And my Sigyn is betrothed to Theoric, one of Odin’s warriors, and was to marry him in a year’s time,” Kjell added, looking concerned.

Odin’s frown grew even deeper. “Loki’s children shall be of royal blood. They will need to be raised as such,” he said slowly. “And yet, I have plans for Loki’s life that does not involve having a wife and children at such a young age…I must think before making a decision.”

“Think all you must, but know that there is not much time. If Sigyn does not conceive during this cycle, I fear neither of them will survive until her next opportunity.”

Odin turned and looked at his wife. “Come Frigga, we have much to discuss,” he commanded. “Thor, remain here at your brother’s side.”

Thor took Loki’s hand and squeezed it lovingly. “All shall be well soon, brother,” he said quietly, trying to calm the younger man down. “It appears as though I shall soon be an uncle…”

(SCENE)

Later that evening, Frigga and Odin returned to the healing room. Odin spoke with Kjell at the end of the beds. “It has been decided that I shall absolve the betrothal contract between Sigyn and Theoric. As the mother of Loki’s children, it is only appropriate that she and Loki be wedded. We shall pay Sigyn’s bride-price as well as return to Theoric’s family the bride-price he paid to you.” Kjell had no choice in Odin’s decision, but seemed satisfied anyway. The two men shook hands and bowed to one another, making the decision final.

When the family members had retired to their chambers, the healers carefully led Loki and Sigyn to a private sleeping chamber. They were disrobed and set on the bed before the healers left. “They shall know what must be done,” the elder healer assured the others as they left. “Nature will see to that.”

Loki turned and looked at Sigyn, seeing her unclothed form for the first time. “I can hear you,” he said, standing up and moving over next to her. He felt a need he couldn’t identify, but felt compelled to be as close to her as possible.

“And I you,” her voice rang out in his head, though she did not speak aloud. She reached out and ran her fingers up and down his arm. Loki sat down next to her and wrapped his hand around her waist. Sigyn fell back on the bed, with him following suit a moment later.

It took time for them to grow comfortable around one another, but the urgency of their situation hurried them along. Loki’s mind was empty of thought, though full of voices that called out to be acknowledged.

The actual act of mating was frenzied and chaotic. Neither Sigyn nor Loki was truly aware of what was happening. Time ceased to have any meaning and the only way of noting the passage of it was when a healer would appear with food for them. Often, two healers would separate them in order to feed and bathe them, as well as care for all their other needs, for they were no longer capable of even those simple tasks.

On the second night, Loki and Sigyn fell into a fitful sleep. Loki held Sigyn in his arms while she rested her head on his shoulder. The healers noted the change in behavior and allowed them to sleep uninterrupted.

Later the next morning, Sigyn woke up first and sat up in the bed, looking around. When she saw that she was naked, she gasped and pulled the bedclothes up to cover herself. “Loki, what has happened?”

Loki groaned and opened his eyes. He too was quick to cover himself up. “I know not,” he replied. “Where are we?”

A healer arrived a moment later with a tray of food in her hands. She was startled to see them awake, but quickly smiled. “Good day to you both,” she replied, setting the tray on the foot of the bed. “You are both looking much better today. How do you feel?” She began to examine them, in spite of their protestations.

Loki clutched the bedclothes to himself. “I would have you explain what is going on!” he demanded. “Where is my clothing and why am I here? In a bed. With Sigyn…” He looked at Sigyn and felt a sudden pang of fear, though he himself was not afraid.

“I remember,” Sigyn said, looking at Loki. “There were voices, do you not remember? But they are gone now…” She looked down and pressed a hand to her belly.

Loki looked at her hand and his eyes grew round. “There _were_ voices,” he said. “But what happened to us?”

The healer sat down on the bed and carefully explained to them what had taken place days earlier. It took a while for them to grasp what had happened. “The voices are no longer in our minds, so what does that mean?” Sigyn asked.

“It means that quickening has taken place and you have successfully conceived. Could you tell how many voices there were?” the healer asked.

“Two, there were two, besides Sigyn’s,” Loki replied. Sigyn nodded in confirmation.

“Then you have conceived twins,” the healer replied. “That is a sign of great luck!”

Loki’s throat was dry as he heard the news that he was to be a father and a husband. Was he ready for such responsibility? Now that the effects of Sjalsfrande had worn off, his mind was clear in regards to Sigyn for the first time ever. She was beautiful, and liked the magic he did, and was kind and supportive. She would make an ideal wife and mother. However, the passion that had made him so rash and bold a few days ago, had been replaced once again with shyness and caution. He could hear her voice in his mind occasionally, or feel the sensations she felt, and knew she could feel the same with him.

The healer left the food on the bed, handed their clothing back to them and went to inform their parents of the latest developments. Sigyn and Loki were alone once again. “We shall be wedded in a fortnight’s time,” Sigyn commented as they dressed. They were both turned away from one another, giving each other privacy. “I suppose we shall have to get used to this soon…” Loki glanced over his shoulder and saw her peeking over hers to catch a glimpse of him. They both blushed and quickly turned around again.

Once Loki was dressed, he sat on the bed and began to eat. He was ravenous, though it may have been Sigyn’s hunger he felt, for she joined him at the tray and ate heartily. “You shall need more food than this,” he said before pushing the tray towards her. “You eat the rest.”

He was pacing the floor, deep in thought, when his family arrived. Frigga embraced him, crying and kissing his cheek. “Oh my son,” she cried. “I am so joyful!” Thor hugged Loki next, followed by Odin. Odin seemed reserved, as usual, but also agitated. Loki assumed the stress of the situation was wearing down on him.

Odin walked over to speak with Kjell and Sigyn. “I do not feel old enough to become a grandfather yet, however, I am honored that you shall be the first to bear my son’s children. You shall always have a special place in my heart, Sigyn Kjellsdottir.”

Sigyn bowed to Odin, “I thank you, Odin Allfather,” she replied. “I shall strive to be a good mother to Loki’s children, and a good wife to him as well.”

Everybody left a short time later, for there were many preparations to be made for the wedding in so short a time. It was agreed upon by all involved, not to speak to anybody outside the immediate family, of the Sjalsfrande or the subsequent pregnancy that had taken place. To all that attended the wedding and the consummation ceremony, Sigyn would appear as a proper maiden, and since the wedding would take place so soon, no one would be the wiser of her true condition before it would be appropriate. Frigga was in charge of all the preparations, and would preside over the ceremony as well.

As the days passed, Loki was fitted for new clothes, and given a sword that had belonged to Odin’s grandfather. He would need it to present his ring to Sigyn. He was struck yet again, at how little control he had over his life. He and Sigyn had both consented to the betrothal, as was required by Odin’s law, but he knew that they had little other choice but to consent. They were bound to one another. As much as he was scared, and uncomfortable at the thought of being married, the thought of being separated from her filled him with terror. She was now a part of him: his body, his mind, his soul. To be parted from her would be like removing an arm or a leg. He simply could not survive. He knew she felt the same way as well.

Nobody understood what he was feeling, for nobody he knew had ever experienced Sjalsfrande. They could not understand what it felt like to know at all times, if Sigyn was happy or sad or angry. At night, their dreams met and they shared their thoughts with one another during their waking hours. They could speak to one another in their minds, no matter where they were. It was a comfort to feel her presence in his mind. He was never alone anymore. He finally had someone in his life who understood him perfectly.

Perhaps it wasn’t so terrible to be marrying her after all. For the first time since the turn of events that had thrown his life into chaos, he smiled. Sigyn would be his wife. It had been what his family had told him could never be, and had disapproved of. It was an enjoyable thought that he was going to do something none of them had wanted. But Sigyn would be his wife, and that was what truly mattered to him now.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn prepare for their wedding.

Odin seemed to be more attentive to Loki in the fortnight before the wedding than he had his entire life. He was full of advice for the young man. “Loki, you must always be sure to put Sigyn first. Your needs and desires must come last. But you will find that if you do this, you will be a happier man. An angry wife will lead to much discord and misery.”

Loki and his kinsmen were sitting in the steam rooms, a tradition before being wedded. It was cleansing and symbolized the shedding of one’s old life in preparation for one’s new life. Loki was sweating and the towel he wore about his waist was damp and uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to partake in the ritual. Sigyn and her kinswomen had done the same the previous day, and he had been privy to their advice on how to be a good and dutiful wife. Some of the bawdy things they had said had made both him and Sigyn blush. He wondered what Sigyn would think of the advice he was receiving from his kinsmen.

Thor was busy delving into great detail about his many conquests, seeming to think it was good advice to give his brother on the eve of his wedding. When Odin began to add his own experiences into the storytelling, Loki quickly stood up and walked to the other side of the room. “Father, I do not wish to hear about such things from you. I do not want to think about mother in such a fashion…” Thor looked concerned and uncomfortable as well.

Odin waved a hand dismissively. “You needn’t worry,” he replied jovially, “these are tales of other women, not her.” Neither Loki nor Thor, were much comforted by this. “Do not be so prudish,” their father continued. “Your mother and I have both had many lovers over the years. I am away in battle for such long periods of time; it would be cruel to expect her to wait for my return. While I firmly believe in the men’s realm of work and the women’s realm of work, I also believe that women ought not to be denied the right to the pleasurable things in life.” Odin leaned back and rested against the wall. “Loki, if you take a lover one day, do not be angered, or surprised, if Sigyn takes one as well. This is the way of things.”

Loki and Thor glanced at one another. This was, quite possibly, the most uncomfortable discussion they had ever had with their father. When they were done, and Odin had left the steam rooms, the brothers sat side-by-side for a few moments alone. “Brother, I know not about you, but I feel there should be things about our parent’s lives that remain forever a mystery to us. Come, let us go drink in celebration of the morrow, and hope that we can forget what we have heard here today,” Thor suggested before standing to leave.

Loki nodded his head. “For once, brother, you and I are in complete agreement,” he replied, standing and joining Thor at the door.

Thor’s friends joined them at the dining hall and the feasting and drinking grew very loud as the day passed. Loki and Hogun engaged in a competition to see who could drink the most and remain standing. It ended in a draw when both participants collapsed to the floor after an indeterminate amount of ale. Thor laughed and picked Loki up off the floor. “You are done for, I think,” he commented while setting him on a bench. “Leave the heavy drinking to me.”

Loki folded his arms on the table and rested his head on them. Images of Sigyn filled his mind. She was currently brushing her long blonde hair while her kinswomen surrounded her in her chambers. “By this time tomorrow, we will be wedded,” he thought.

“I know, it is a frightening and exhilarating thought,” came Sigyn’s response a moment later. “I feel giddy and cannot stop laughing. Loki, have you been drinking?”

“I did not know you would feel the effects too,” he replied. “I shall have no more to drink today, I promise. Would you care to join us in the dining halls?” “I do not wish to intrude on your friends…”

“They are Thor’s friends, not mine. I would like it if you joined me here.”

“Very well, I shall be there shortly.” Loki tried to sit up, but found it very difficult to do so.

When Sigyn arrived, she found him lying down on the bench. “Wake up, Loki,” she said aloud with a giggle. “You don’t want to fall off now, do you?”

She sat down and helped him move so his head was resting on her lap. He closed his eyes and rested, enjoying the sensation of the fingertips of one hand caressing his cheek and the other hand petting his hair.

Loki had dozed off when Volstagg sat down across from Sigyn, carrying with him a large plate of food. She had never interacted with him more than to fill his tankard with ale while she’d been a serving girl. He was the eldest of Thor’s friends, not having joined them until they had grown, but he seemed kindly enough. Nicer than the rest of Thor’s friends who had taunted her as a child. “So, you two are to be wedded tomorrow,” Volstagg commented with a smile. “I am very happy for you and Loki.”

“Thank you, Volstagg,” Sigyn replied while eyeing his plate of food. It was full of many delicious-looking things, and she was very hungry.

Volstagg seemed to notice, for he pushed the plate out to her to share. “It is rather unusual that the betrothal has been so short,” he commented while she ate a piece of roasted meat. “Just as unusual that Odin would allow his son to marry the daughter of a weapons smith…”

Sigyn finished her bite and smiled at him. “Our parents were quite gracious to allow us to be wedded so quickly,” she replied carefully. “Loki and I are very much in love, and our families realized this. They did not object. Odin was also very kind to grant us his permission, even though I am but a lowly serving girl.”

Volstagg laughed heartily. “I have never heard of marrying for love,” he said, looking incredulous. “Oh yes, sometimes love develops _after_ one is wedded, like with my wife and me. But to wed for love? Unheard of!” He chuckled again. “Young people and their notions…”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “It is the truth,” she replied before taking a bite of cheese.

Volstagg looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but Thor intervened by joining them at the table. “Well, little Sigyn, you have joined our celebration,” he said with a smile. “I wanted to tell you that I am very glad you are to become my sister tomorrow. Loki is very lucky to be getting you as a wife. I know you shall make him happy.” He held out a large hand to her, and she cautiously reached hers out towards it. He wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a kind squeeze. “Tomorrow you shall become a princess of Asgard. How do you feel about that?”

Sigyn blushed. “I had not thought about it all, to be honest. Everything has happened so quickly…”

“While father intends to name me as the heir, Loki shall always have a role of great importance here. You shall too, because of him.”

Sigyn looked down at Loki’s relaxed face and traced a fingertip over his lips. He reached up and grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers with his. “One day you shall be queen of Asgard,” his voice murmured in her head.

Volstagg left a moment later, in search of more food and drink, he announced. Thor and Sigyn were now free to speak candidly. Thor looked at her earnestly, and then smiled. “I truly am happy for you and Loki,” he repeated. “I know I was not always kind to you when we were younger, and I hope you can forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive, Thor,” Sigyn assured him. “It is all in the past, and over with.” She smiled and squeezed his hand again. “I look forward to calling you ‘brother’ after tomorrow.”

“All this sentimentality is wearing me out,” Loki said in her mind.

Sigyn laughed lightly. “Oh Loki, I am sorry to wear down on you,” she replied out loud.

Thor looked confused for a moment, and then spoke quietly so nobody else could hear them. “It must be terribly strange, this Sjalsfrande, is it not? Hearing his thoughts, and being able to speak to one another from afar.”

Sigyn gazed at Loki for a moment before responding. “It is the most wonderful thing,” she replied honestly. “It is as if we had always been connected this way. I cannot imagine my life anymore without Loki being in it. He is and always shall be part of who I am, just as I shall always be a part of who he is.”

“But you are with child as well…”

Sigyn placed a hand on her stomach and smiled. “I will admit that it scares me to think of becoming a mother in less than a year’s time,” she replied. “But I have already met my sons, and I already love them. They too are a part of who I am.”

“Sons!”

Sigyn grinned and nodded her head. “That is what their voices told us before they were conceived. They spent days with us telling us all about themselves, and I cannot wait to give birth to them and be their mother.”

Thor shook his head. “It is all so strange,” he replied. “I hope I never experience Sjalsfrande…”

“One day you may find somebody you love with all your heart and soul.”

“I do not know…”

“And you may wish to be wedded to her.”

Thor wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “I think I shall marry whoever my mother forms a betrothal contract with. She is very wise about such things.”

Thor took his leave a short time later, when Lady Sif and Fandral got into a fight and it appeared as though swords would be drawn soon.

Sigyn glanced down at Loki, and smiled when he opened his eyes. “Is he gone?” he asked out loud.

“Yes, how do you feel?”

He sat up and rubbed his temples. “I should not have had so much to drink,” he admitted.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently pulled him back so he was leaning against her. “I am sorry you feel ill now,” she replied. “I can feel it too…”

Loki settled in against her, allowing her to hold him. She was soft, and warm, and her hair smelled of lavender, and he wished to never leave her side. He didn’t want this moment to end. The passion he had felt for her just before their Sjalsfrande, was returning, and he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her. He wrapped his fingers through hers and smiled. “Oh Loki, if it were not for tradition, I would have you now, but we will have to wait until the morrow,” her voice whispered in his mind.

“I do not wish to wait,” he replied, frowning.

“We should get into trouble if we did,” Sigyn said, unwrapping her arms from Loki’s shoulders. “Perhaps I should return to my chambers…”

“Maybe I should escort you there myself…”

“No Loki, my kinswomen would be upset to know that I have come here tonight. They would be angry if you appeared with me at my chambers.”

“I care not one whit what your kinswomen think,” Loki pouted. “What do they know of our love?” He thought to himself about how badly he had wanted to maintain his control over loving Sigyn before Sjalsfrande, but how he no longer cared. When he was wedded, he would be considered fully a man in his father’s eyes. It might elevate his status to the equal of Thor’s, if not higher. Perhaps Odin would even consider him as a serious candidate to become heir to the throne one day. If Loki could prove that he was a mature adult, and Thor was still a stubborn, immature child in comparison, he might have a considerable chance. What a wonderful thought that was.

Sigyn stood up to leave and placed her hands on Loki’s shoulders. “I really must go,” she whispered. “Sleep well tonight, my love, and I will be with you in our dreams…”

Loki reached up and placed his hands on her chin. He gently pulled her down and pressed his lips to hers, not caring who might see them. As soon as their lips touched, both felt as though they were on fire. Neither had ever been kissed before, so they couldn’t tell if it was normal or if it was another effect of the Sjalsfrande. They kissed for nearly a full minute before pulling away to catch their breath.

Loki felt lightheaded, as though all the blood was draining out of his head. He felt himself being urgently drawn to Sigyn and was aware of her need for him as well. “The kinswomen are in my chambers, we cannot go there,” she whispered in his ear.

“And my kinsmen wait for me in mine,” Loki replied, feeling a desperate need to be with her intimately.

Thor wandered back over to them, having successfully averted the swordfight between his friends. He took one look at Loki and Sigyn and chuckled. “It seems I have caught you at a bad time…Brother, I know you and I are supposed to stay in your chambers tonight, and Sigyn’s is occupied as well. Mine are empty. These festivities are only just beginning. Why do you two not visit my chambers and…see what happens next? Let this be my wedding gift to you. Consider it practice for the consummation ceremony after the wedding.”

Loki normally would have been mortified, but his need was overwhelming. “Thank you brother, I will join our kinsmen in my chambers later tonight.” With that, he stood up, and led Sigyn by the hand out of the dining halls and together they ran to Thor’s chambers.

Once inside Thor’s rooms, the rebellious couple grinned at one another before embracing and kissing again. Time ceased to move as they engaged in their love. All they knew was each other, and their pleasure. And later in the evening, when they were exhausted and lying on Thor’s bed catching their breath, their eyes closed and they intended only to rest for a few moments before returning to their chambers where their families were waiting.

(SCENE)

Thor walked into his chambers early the next morning, hoping he would find his quarry. He looked around the rooms and didn’t see anybody in them until he reached his sleeping chamber. When he approached his bed, he smiled at what he saw. Loki and Sigyn were lying next to one another, unclothed, sleeping. He took a moment to observe Sigyn, and came to the conclusion that he should have had her before Loki had laid claim to her. He sighed to himself to think that he’d never get to know what she was like, and that Loki was the only one who would experience her pleasures. After a few seconds, he leaned down and shook her and Loki both on the shoulder. “Little Sigyn, Loki, wake up!” he shouted. He grinned when both Loki and Sigyn opened their eyes and gasped.

Sigyn sat up and squealed when she saw Thor towering over her. Loki sat up and threw his arms around her unclothed form. “Thor! Avert your eyes!” When Thor remained as he was, ogling Sigyn and laughing at them, Loki stood up and shoved Thor as hard as he could. “Thor! Avert your eyes right now!” When Thor finally turned around, Loki moved to Sigyn’s side and helped her to dress before putting his own clothes on.

“All right, you may turn around,” Loki said when Sigyn was fully clothed. He stood next to her, his arm around her shoulders protectively as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Thor turned around, folded his arms, and looked at them triumphantly. “It is long past midnight and everybody wonders where you two have gone. Mother is concerned that perhaps you have run away again. Should I go inform her of your whereabouts?”

“No!” Loki said firmly before shaking his head. “We slept for nearly six hours? How could we have slept for so long?”

“What shall we do?” Sigyn asked, looking frightened. “My kinswomen shall ask where I have been. What will I tell them?”

“We will each return to our own chambers and tell our families that we were merely alone, contemplating our lives and how they will change after we are wedded. And we simply lost track of time. This shall suffice.” Loki nodded his head, confident that nobody would question them.

Thor chuckled. “It looks to me as if you two had been doing quite the contemplation. I would imagine that you contemplated many times…”

Loki glared at his brother. “Will you cease this talk? Sigyn is about to become your kin and you speak so foully in her presence. I do hope that when I am wedded to her, you will learn to behave yourself around her. She is going to be the mother of my children after all!” He patted Sigyn’s shoulder comfortingly. “Come Sigyn, let us go to our families now. I shall look forward to seeing you again at the ceremony later.”

Sigyn stood up and walked out of the room with Loki. When the couple had left, Thor looked down at his bed and wrinkled his nose. The servants would have to change his bedsheets before he could sleep there again. He turned and walked out of the room to join Loki and their kinsmen. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor. At least after the ceremony later, he wouldn’t have to volunteer his room anymore for them to enjoy their clandestine couplings.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn get married, Asgard-style.

Loki had to face Odin’s questioning when he reached his chambers. “My son, I was concerned about you,” he said with a frown. “I am glad Thor found you.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “I was merely contemplating all the changes in my life father,” he replied calmly. “Everything has happened so quickly…”

Odin nodded his head sympathetically. “I would imagine you have many doubts and questions about the future,” he replied.

“I shall be fully a man after I am wedded, and the first of your sons to produce an heir,” Loki said. “I am looking forward to being elevated to the rank of adulthood. I shall be ready for far more responsibilities than you give me currently.” He wanted nothing more than for Odin to count on him, to depend on him for something. To be looked at as capable of ruling Asgard, as much as Thor was. Thor had brawn and fire and it made him appear strong and capable, but he was little more than a child bullying people. Loki knew _he’d_ make a better ruler than Thor ever would. He could think through problems, not just rely on brute force. He could see his actions and their consequences, and could decide how best they would impact others. But Odin and all the rest of Asgard seemed only to value strength through force. Even now he could see the doubt in Odin’s eyes.

“We shall see, my son,” Odin replied. “Perhaps I can give you a few more responsibilities to begin with and see how you fare. You are about to have your hands rather full with a new wife and children after all…”

Loki tried his best to hide his disappointment. Every time Odin rejected him, it felt like he’d been stabbed with a knife. Each time cut a little deeper and took longer to heal. “Very well, father. I am sure you know what is best,” he replied before taking his leave to go to his sleeping chamber.

As he drifted off to sleep, Sigyn’s words entered his mind. “Good night, Loki, my love. I cannot wait to be wedded to you. And do not take Odin’s words to heart. He may be the Allfather, but he does not know what a wise and clever and capable man he has for a son. One day he will regret not putting more time into knowing you better. But his loss is entirely my gain. Now, sleep well, and I shall see you in the morrow.”

Loki fell asleep with a smile on his face.

(SCENE)

Much later the next morning, Loki was awoken by Thor shaking his shoulder. “It is time to prepare for the ceremony, brother!” he exclaimed.

Loki slowly sat up and allowed his eyes to adjust to the light. When he was fully awake, he stood up and dressed for the ceremony. Frigga had been in charge of his clothes, and had made him a tunic of dark green and black leather accented with gold ornamentation, black leather trousers and matching boots. It was like the one he wore on most days, but more mature, and far more imposing. It symbolized his arrival into full manhood. He tied his hair back with a black leather queue, and affixed the sword he needed for the ceremony, to the scabbard at his waist.

He found himself feeling strangely nervous in spite of his excitement for the day. Thor tried to get him to break his fast, but he couldn’t eat more than a few bites of meat and bread. The rest of the morning passed quickly as his kinsmen peppered him with last minute wedding advice.

“Remember to treat her kindly, but always with a firm hand so that she does not forget you are the husband,” one of his uncles said.

“And do not forget to give her sweets and flowers once in a while,” another uncle advised. “You will find that she shall be much more tolerable if you do.”

“And remember that if she complains that you do not give her enough attention after taking on a lover, that it is your right as a man to do so,” an older cousin added.

Loki detested their advice, but politely listened to it. These men had no idea how to handle a woman. Sigyn did not deserve cruelty from her husband. She deserved love and to be treated with kindness and respect. He knew it was in her very nature as a person to be obedient to him. He would never need to use force against her.

When the time arrived to leave, the party exited Loki’s chambers and made their way to the Bifrost. Most Asgardian weddings took place out of doors, but the Bifrost was a location reserved for the most important members of society. It had not been used for a wedding in many years.

Thor and Loki walked several paces onto the bridge, to where Frigga was waiting. She smiled at them, but seemed to do her best to maintain her composure. “My son,” she said, holding a hand out to him. “Today I will be relinquishing you into the arms of another woman. Today you become fully a man.”

Loki smiled at Frigga. “Man or not, I shall always be your son. Though I am taking a wife, you will always keep your place within my heart,” he said before kissing her hand. Frigga smiled fondly at him before moving back to her post.

Loki stood next to Thor on one side of Frigga and waited for his first glimpse of Sigyn. He saw her a couple minutes later approaching the Bifrost. She was wearing a tunic that mirrored his own, though hers was floor-length. It was white where his was black, and the lightest shade of green he could detect, where his was dark green. She also had a sword in a scabbard at her side. And where he had gold ornaments, she had silver. Her long white blonde hair trailed down in coils at her waist, and about her head was a crown of flowers. Red roses, sprigs of lavender, and buttercups all twined together to create her headdress. Her lips and cheeks were pink and her brown eyes shone with the white reflection from the Bifrost as she walked slowly to him, her kinswomen following behind. She stopped next to Loki, and a cousin stood next to her, mirroring Thor’s role in the ceremony. Odin and Kjell stepped forward and completed the wedding circle.

Other family members, friends, and those invited to witness the ceremony, gathered around behind them at the edge of the Bifrost. When everyone had grown quiet, Frigga began the ceremony.

“It is a joyous occasion today, to be able to oversee the wedding of Sigyn, daughter of Kjell, and Loki, son of Odin.” She looked up into the crowd of witnesses. “Who brings Sigyn today to be wedded?”

Kjell stepped forward and bowed deeply. “I, Kjell Toveson, do,” he replied according to custom.

Frigga nodded to Kjell. “And who has permitted Loki to be wedded on this day?”

It was Odin’s turn to step forward now. He bowed to his wife. “I, Odin Allfather, do,” he replied solemnly before stepping back.

Frigga nodded again before looking down at Loki and Sigyn. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, do you give your consent to be wedded to this man?” she asked, pointing to Loki.

Sigyn looked to Loki and blushed shyly. “I do,” she replied.

“Loki Odinson, do you give your consent to be wedded to this woman?” Frigga continued, pointing to Sigyn.

Loki gazed at Sigyn, his heart pounding nervously. “I do,” he said a moment later.

Frigga nodded in acknowledgement. “All the involved parties have given their consent for this wedding,” she announced to the crowd.

At this point, both Loki and Sigyn removed the swords from their scabbards. Loki carefully passed his to Thor, and Sigyn gave hers to her kinswoman. Thor and Sigyn’s cousin had been entrusted with the wedding rings earlier and each placed the circle of hand-wrought gold on the pommel of the sword they held.

“Loki, place your ring upon Sigyn’s finger,” Frigga commanded. Loki turned to Thor and removed the ring from the pommel of the sword. Sigyn held out her left hand and he placed the ring upon her ring finger. “And now, repeat these words: I, Loki Odinson, take you as my wedded wife.”

Loki took a deep breath and looked into Sigyn’s eyes. “I, Loki Odinson, take you as my wedded wife,” he said solemnly.

“This ring is a token of my loyalty to you,” Frigga continued.

“This ring is a token of my loyalty to you.”

Frigga turned to Sigyn. “Sigyn, place your ring upon Loki’s finger,” she instructed. Sigyn turned to her cousin and removed the ring from the pommel of her sword. She turned back to Loki and placed the ring on the ring finger of his outstretched hand. “And now, repeat these words: I, Sigyn Kjellsdottir, take you as my wedded husband.”

Sigyn smiled briefly as she looked up into Loki’s face. Their newly-ringed hands remained entwined. “I, Sigyn Kjellsdottir, take you as my wedded husband.”

“This ring is a token of my loyalty to you,” Frigga added.

“This ring is a token of my loyalty to you.”

“And now, each of you will hold out your un-ringed hands,” Frigga continued.

Loki held his right hand out towards Thor and Sigyn held hers out to her kinswoman. Thor took Loki’s hand and raised the sword to it. With the edge of the blade, he cut the palm of his brother’s hand. Sigyn’s cousin did the same thing to Sigyn’s hand. Both Loki and Sigyn flinched in pain as their hands began to bleed. “And now, join hands,” Frigga said. Loki and Sigyn joined hands, while keeping their ringed hands joined as well. The blood from their cuts dripped down their wrists, but they held tightly to one another. Frigga reached down and pressed both of her hands to their cut hands. “Blood has been spilled and mixed, and now the two have joined as one body and flesh. Two families have become one today. The blood of Loki and Sigyn is now one and the same.” She let go of their hands and gestured to Thor and Sigyn’s cousin. Each took out a handkerchief and used it to clean and bind the hand of the one they were serving.

Loki’s hand stung badly, and he could feel that Sigyn’s hurt as well. He longed to kiss her hand, but knew Frigga would disapprove of interrupting the ritual.

Now, Odin stepped forward again, holding a large red apple in his hand. “I bear with me, an apple, sent by Idunn herself.” He handed it to Sigyn. “Eat of it, and from it, receive the eternal life of Asgard.” Loki could feel Sigyn’s heart pound as she took a bite of the apple. He knew that the eternal life of Asgard was not granted to everybody, and that she was being given a great gift from Odin. Sigyn took a second bite of the apple before returning it to Odin. Odin faced Loki and held it out to him as well. “Eat, and signify joining with one another for all of time.”

Loki had eaten Idunn’s apples his entire life, so this was merely symbolic. But he could feel energy and life teeming through Sigyn, and into their sons growing within her as well. They would all be together forever now. He smiled at the thought, in spite of his best effort not to. It had never occurred to Loki that Odin would permit Sigyn to eat of the apples, and was very happy that he had.

Odin took the apple back and walked over to stand next to Frigga. Frigga peered down upon Loki and Sigyn and smiled before looking out over the crowd. Then she began to speak. “The blessings of Frigga and Odin shall protect and fortify this union. Go now, back into the world, two lives now as one. I declare that you are wedded!”

Loki felt exhilarated as he heard Frigga say those words. Sigyn was grinning at him. In a bold move, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. “I am so happy right now,” he whispered in her ear. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so before so many people. After letting go of her, he shook Odin’s hand and kissed Frigga’s cheek. “Thank you both for this,” he said earnestly. He also shook Thor’s hand. “Thank you brother, for supporting me on this day.” Thor clapped him on the shoulder in response.

Loki took Sigyn’s arm in his and began to walk with her through the cheering crowd. The crowd called out blessings and kind words as the wedded couple passed by. They led the procession back into the palace and over to the dining halls where the feasting and festivities were to take place.

Frigga and Odin took their places at the center of the great table at the front of the hall. The table was on a platform, so all would be able to see them throughout the day. Loki sat on Odin’s right, a place of honor, one he’d never had before. Sigyn sat in between Loki and Thor. Sigyn’s father Kjell and his family was seated at Frigga’s left to fill out the rest of the table.

Many dishes were served during the feast. Loki took small amounts of everything, but wasn’t sure he’d be able to eat all of it. There was one dish that Thor was particularly excited about and proud of. Five servants brought into the center of the dining hall, an entire roasted stag, on an enormous platter big enough to hold it. “Brother, I hunted it myself just for today’s feasting!” he exclaimed before jumping up and hurrying over to the platter. He took a knife and cut off a large piece to take back to the great table. He presented Loki and Sigyn with an entire haunch, throwing it down loudly onto the table. “Eat up!”

The haunch was so big, and so clumsily presented, that Loki began to laugh when he saw it. Sigyn’s laughter joined his. He carefully cut small pieces off and put them on his wife’s plate. “You must keep your strength up,” he declared with a wink of his eye. “The day is young and the night shall be long…” he whispered in her mind. Sigyn giggled and smiled at her husband. Without protest, she ate everything he put on her plate.

“Don’t forget to eat heartily too, my husband,” she said in his mind after a while. “I intend to enjoy myself tonight as well, you know…” She held a piece of meat out to him and grinned as he leaned in to accept the bite. He nibbled on her fingers for a moment before winking again and sitting up.

During a lull in the feasting, Thor stood and held up his goblet. “I would give a toast, to my brother and new sister,” he declared before the entire hall. “To Loki, the best brother a man could have, and Sigyn, the sweetest girl I’ve ever known. May you have many sons and many happy years together.” The crowd raised their cups as well. “Skal!” he cried out before taking a drink of his ale.

“Skal!” the crowd cheered in response before taking a drink.

When everybody was full, the entertainment began. There were dancing girls, jugglers, and jesters who engaged in a battle of flyting, insulting one another’s mothers in a grand battle of wit and words. Both Loki and Sigyn applauded and cheered them on. Loki wished to join in, but Sigyn convinced him not to. “They would only end up insulting Frigga, and that would not go well, I fear,” she said, wrapping her arms around his arm and holding tightly to him.

Later in the day, the wedded couple left their table and walked around the dining hall to greet all the guests and thank them for attending. Loki relished every moment of being the center of attention. Today, he was the most important man in Asgard, above Thor and even Odin. He wished he could feel like this every day.

As night fell, and more guests drew drunker or took their leave, Frigga stood up and announced that it was time for the consummation ceremony to begin. The crowd cheered bawdily as Loki got up and held his hand out for Sigyn. She blushed, suddenly shy, but took his hand and followed him down the steps to the floor. The rest of the women seated at the great table followed behind the wedded couple.

Frigga led them out of the great hall and down the corridor to the chambers that were to be Loki and Sigyn’s now that they were wedded. They were being given a larger set of rooms with space for future children, and servants of their own. She walked into the chambers and turned to look at the crowd. “And now, Loki, you will carry your wife over the threshold,” she commanded. Loki hoped he was strong enough to do so, and took a deep breath before reaching over to pick Sigyn up. It was difficult, but he managed it, and carried her into their new home. After a couple paces inside the room, he set her down, and Frigga began to lead them once again. Everyone followed her until she reached the marriage bed in the largest of the sleeping chambers.

She stopped and held her hand out to Sigyn. “I shall perform the maiden test myself,” she said before leading her new daughter-in-law into a small antechamber, closing the door behind them. Sigyn was shivering with fear and nervousness when Frigga smiled kindly upon her. “You have naught to fear,” she said soothingly. “We must make pretense that all the steps have been taken properly, that is all.”

Sigyn relaxed a little, but remained apprehensive. “I wish I did not have to do this with other people around,” she confessed.

Frigga frowned and nodded her head sympathetically. “I understand,” she replied. “My consummation ceremony was uncomfortable as well. At least you and Loki have had practice…”

“I do not remember our first time…”

Frigga smiled wisely. “I was not speaking of then, but of last night,” she replied. When Sigyn blushed, her mother-in-law continued. “Thor is a terrible liar. But you needn’t worry. It makes no difference now. The only thing you need to remember is that a maiden’s first time with a man is usually somewhat painful. Just make sure to sound as if you are not enjoying yourself too much, and you shall be fine.”

Sigyn blushed again at the thought. “Oh, and what about the bedsheets? I will not bleed this time…”

“I had the healers preserve your bedsheets from the Sjalsfrande. I made your bed with them myself, and since nobody will witness you to getting into it, none shall be the wiser.”

“You are a wise woman, Frigga,” Sigyn replied with a sigh. “A very wise woman…”

Frigga smiled. “I thank you, my daughter,” she said. “And come now; let us return to the sleeping chamber.”

When they were standing before the crowd of women and Loki, Frigga spoke. “I have determined Sigyn to be a maiden still. The ceremony may now commence.”

Loki’s heart pounded as the group of women surrounded him and Sigyn. He knew what was expected of him during this ritual. Would he be able to do it? Sigyn looked scared, but so beautiful. He wished more than anything for privacy with which to comfort her and make her his wife properly.

Sigyn was still wearing her crown of flowers, and smiled shyly as he reached up and lifted it off her head, thus “deflowering” her. The group of women sighed collectively and whispered among themselves for several moments. One each of Loki and Sigyn’s kinswomen stepped forward, having found themselves elected to stay for the next part of the ritual. Frigga and the rest of the women filed out of the sleeping chamber, to remain in another room until it was completed.

Loki’s kinswoman, an elderly aunt of Frigga’s, took command, directing everybody in what must be done next. Sigyn’s cousin unclothed both Loki and Sigyn, carefully folding each item and placing it on top of the last. After several minutes, both were completely unclothed. Sigyn shivered with cold and Loki was unable to wrap his arms around her, for they had been forbidden to move.

The elder aunt took a bowl of ash that had been collected from Frigga’s hearth, and dipped her finger into it. She began with Loki, and painted runes onto his face, chest, stomach, thighs, and back. Next, she repeated the process with Sigyn, with matching runes on the corresponding parts of her body.

“These symbols will protect your marriage,” the aunt explained when she had finished. “They will make your children plentiful and attentive. They will keep you vital and full of health and happiness. When they blend together into your skin, it shall be binding.” She and Sigyn’s cousin draped a sheet onto a string that had been attached to the walls of the sleeping chamber, creating a barrier. When they had finished, the elder aunt said her final piece.

“Loki, place your arms around your wife,” she commanded. Loki walked over to Sigyn and embraced her, at long last. “Loki, may your seed be plentiful and strong, and may Sigyn’s womb be fruitful and bear you many sons. May you conceive a child on this very night, for children of first love are the most healthful, strong, and courageous.”

With that, she and Sigyn’s cousin stepped under the sheet, leaving the wedded couple in semi-privacy. Loki kept his arms around Sigyn and looked down at her beautiful, ash-covered face. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. The fire and passion they’d felt the previous night returned and Sigyn quickly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as closely against her as she could.

In spite of his earlier concern about being too anxious with a crowd to be able to consummate the marriage, Loki’s need proved too great. While still kissing her, he gently walked her over to the bed. He broke off the kiss just long enough for them to get settled under the covers. “Loki, a maiden’s first time is supposed to be painful.” Her thought filled his mind as they got comfortable together. He nodded and tried not to laugh when she cried out in false pain when he began to make love to her. She winked and grinned at him before crying out in pain a few more times.

“Don’t play it up too much, my dear,” he whispered in her ear, “or they shall think I am being cruel to you.” Sigyn stopped and allowed herself to embrace the experience for all the pleasure it was bringing her.

When it was all over, they were breathless, and the dark ash on their bodies had smeared and smudged and covered nearly every inch of them. Loki rolled over, next to Sigyn as his elder aunt and Sigyn’s cousin emerged from the other side of the makeshift barrier.

The aunt directed them to get out of the bed. She and the cousin stripped the bed and examined the sheets carefully before being satisfied with what they saw. They folded up the sheet to take with them to show the rest of the women, and made the bed with fresh sheets. Next, the aunt examined both Loki and Sigyn in turn. They were poked and prodded until she was determined that a child would indeed be conceived. “We shall leave you in privacy now,” she declared before removing the sheet she and Sigyn’s cousin had stood behind, and taking her leave.

Loki sighed in relief and threw himself down on the bed. “It is finally over,” he moaned. “I never wish to be touched by that woman again!”

“Me neither,” Sigyn replied, lying down next to him. They lay on the bed, side-by-side, gazing up at the ceiling and talked about the events of the day. “It was a lovely ceremony,” she added after a while. “I shall remember it always.”

“I shall always remember how lovely you looked in your crown of flowers,” Loki said as he leaned over to look down at her. “Almost as lovely as you look now…”

“What? All covered in soot?” she asked with a laugh.

“Yes, all covered in soot,” he confirmed before kissing her again.

Many hours passed before they fell asleep in one another’s arms. It had been a long, exhausting day, and an equally long, exhausting wedding night. Loki held Sigyn in his arms and drifted off to sleep, just as the sun began to rise.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn enjoy a honeymoon and settle into married life.

Thor sat in the dining halls with Odin one morning as they broke their fast. They normally spoke of war strategies or problems within the realm, but this morning, Thor had personal matters to discuss. “Father, it has been a full week since Loki was wedded. He still has not emerged from his chambers,” he said before wiping his mouth on his tunic sleeve. “Shouldn’t he have returned to his normal life by now? I miss his presence.”

“I dare say Sigyn enjoys his presence all the more,” Odin replied with a chuckle.

“Perhaps I should visit them,” Thor suggested.

Odin shook his head. “Do not go there unless you are invited. Loki will not appreciate being interrupted from his bonding time with Sigyn. A full week or even two weeks is perfectly natural for a newly-wedded couple. You will understand this one day when you are wedded. Do not worry, my son, you will see your brother again soon enough.”

As Thor summoned a serving girl to fill another plate of food for him, he noticed somebody looking in their direction. It was Theoric, Sigyn’s formerly intended, and he did not seem to be happy. He glared at Thor for a few seconds before returning to his meal.

“Father, Theoric appears to be in a foul mood today,” Thor commented to Odin after taking the plate of food from the serving girl.

Odin nodded in agreement. “I have been keeping a close eye on him since having to break off his marriage contract to Sigyn. I do not think he has accepted it graciously.”

“I shall keep my eye on him as well, father,” Thor said. It was never good to ignore a man who had a grudge against your family…

(SCENE)

Loki and Sigyn had very much enjoyed their first week of wedded life. Nobody interrupted them; they were left entirely to their own devices. They made love whenever either of them had the notion to, and spent countless hours merely sitting or lying next to one another in a comfortable silence.

Their new chambers opened onto a private terrace with a beautiful view of the woods that surrounded one side of the palace. The leaves were turning orange and red and falling to the ground, and it was lovely to look upon. There was a large hammock on the terrace that was laden with pillows and blankets that quickly became a favorite haunt of theirs. One of the nights, they had even elected to sleep there, and woke up to watch the sun rise.

“I have never been so happy in my life,” Loki said in greeting when Sigyn had awoken.

“You make me feel like the luckiest woman who ever lived,” Sigyn replied, running a finger over his stubble-covered chin.

“Not the ‘Lokiest’?” he joked with a grin.

Sigyn giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “That too,” she replied as he pressed himself against her.

By the end of the first week and a half as a wedded couple, they already knew each other’s likes and dislikes as far as lovemaking went, but they were still getting to know one another better in other areas as well. Sigyn was surprised to find out about Loki’s dislike of celery. Apparently it was too crunchy. And Loki found it amusing that Sigyn was not a lover of wool clothing. “It is so terribly scratchy!”

After the second week, Loki decided it was time to emerge from their home and rejoin his father and brother in their business at hand. “I must return sometime,” he said when Sigyn frowned and pouted at the idea.

“I suppose you must,” she replied while seated on his lap at the breakfast table. “But you must grant me one favor…”

“Oh? I must? What is this favor?” he asked before leaning in to give her a kiss.

When he broke off the kiss, she answered him. “You must return here tonight to eat supper, instead of going to the dining halls,” she said. “I will spend the day in the kitchens making dinner for you, and I want us to eat it here together.”

Loki loved how attentive she was. “Very well, I shall join you and we will dine upon whatever feast you prepare,” he replied.

Sigyn kissed her husband’s cheek. “Thank you, my love.” She looked down at his empty breakfast plate and frowned. “Now that you have finished eating, I suppose you must go…” She looked at him mournfully. “I shall miss you all day…”

Loki smiled as she kissed his other cheek and wrapped an arm around his neck. “I suppose I don’t have to go just this minute,” he conceded as she began to unbutton his tunic and kiss his neck. He reached down and began to unbutton her tunic as well. It only took a minute or so before she was having her way with him right where he was seated.

Once they had slaked their appetites for one another, Loki redressed. “And now, I really must go,” he said breathlessly. “But I shall look forward to tonight when we will be together again…” He kissed her tenderly before taking his leave. As soon as he was gone, his heart ached and his soul yearned to be reunited with her, and it took a great deal of bravery and effort to walk away towards Odin’s throne room.

“Ah, my son, you have returned from your bonding time,” Odin said with a smile as Loki sat down next to him.

Loki nodded. “Yes father, I thought it was time I returned to my duties,” he replied.

“It is good to see you again. You’ve been much missed. Thor will be quite pleased to see you again.” When Loki smiled politely, Odin continued. “I trust you enjoyed your bonding time?”

“Very much so,” Loki replied. “Sigyn is turning out to be a most wonderful wife.”

“And you are sure it is time for you to leave her side?”

“I shall miss her terribly,” Loki said honestly. “But unlike everybody else, I have only to think of her and I can hear her in my mind. I am never truly parted from her.”

Odin was unable to respond, because Thor entered the room at that time and bounded over to Loki. “Brother, I have missed you!” he said before throwing his arms around Loki and hugging him tightly, much to the younger man’s embarrassment.

Once the greetings had ended, the three set to work on the latest war strategy and soon forgot about the time. The day passed quickly, with Loki allowing his thoughts to wander a few times, to Sigyn. He was able to see her speaking to their servants and later on when she was hard at work in the kitchens making his supper. “No peeking!” she chided him.

“Very well, my love, but remember, no celery,” he replied before returning to his work.

(SCENE)

That evening, as Sigyn walked out of the kitchens with her meal for Loki on a tray, she was stopped by somebody calling out to her. She turned to see Theoric rushing towards her. Her heart pounded anxiously to see him. She had not spoken with him before, even though they had been betrothed for a couple of months, and now that the contract had been broken by Odin, she did not want to speak with him.

Theoric stopped in front of Sigyn, blocking her way down the hall. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, I would have a word with you,” he said sternly.

Sigyn looked up at him. He was a very large, very strong man. His black eyes bore holes into her face, and she felt small and helpless before him. “Oh, yes Theoric Ivarson,” she replied timidly. “I hope you are well this day.”

Theoric looked down at her tray. “That is for your _husband_ , no doubt?” he asked with a scowl.

“Yes, today is our first day apart since we were wedded,” Sigyn replied.

“Loki is a very lucky man,” Theoric said coldly. “I am sorry things did not work out for us to be wedded, however. I think I would have been a good husband to you.”

Sigyn smiled at him. “I know you would have,” she said, trying to find a way to step around him. “It was just not meant to be, unfortunately…” She shifted the weight of the tray onto her hip as it was getting very heavy. “And now, if you don’t mind, my husband will be home soon, and I need to get his supper to him.” She stepped forward, pushing against Theoric with the tray until he stepped aside to let her pass.

As she walked by him, he reached down and grabbed her tightly by the forearm. His fingers dug into her flesh and she tried not to cringe in pain. “I would have been a good husband to you,” he repeated harshly before letting her go and rushing away.

Sigyn hurried away to her chambers, hoping Loki would be home when she arrived.

(SCENE)

When the day’s planning had ended, Thor invited Loki to dine with him. “Come, let us feast and drink and you can speak of your bonding time. I wish to hear all about it.”

Loki smiled and shook his head. “Another time, Thor,” he answered. “I have promised my wife that I would dine with her tonight. It has been a terribly long day without her.”

Thor looked horrified and shook his head sadly. “I believe you have been bewitched, brother…” He patted Loki’s shoulder. “Maybe in time, this spell will wear off and you will return to your normal self.”

“Thor, one day you shall have a wife, and you shall understand the appeal of dining with her after a long day’s absence.” Loki loved the feeling of knowing something Thor did not. In terms of being wedded, he was more of a man than his brother was. He smiled at the thought.

“What is there to look forward to with that?”

Loki walked to the door of the throne room and turned to look at his brother before leaving. He grinned impishly. “After dinner sweets,” he replied.

Thor looked confused. “She has made you dessert as well? May I join you?”

“No!” Loki looked mystified. “Sometimes I really do wonder how it is we have the same parentage…” he murmured to himself before responding to Thor. “I was not speaking of _food_ , my brother,” he said before turning and leaving the room.

“Oh, I see…Enjoy your _sweets_!” Thor called out after him a moment later, laughing loudly.

Loki rolled his eyes as he walked back to his chambers. As much as he didn’t want to, he would have to invite Thor to dine with them soon. It wouldn’t be polite otherwise.

The servants were nowhere to be seen when he arrived home, but the delicious smell of supper wafted to him as soon as he walked inside. He could see a tray and plates on the dining table, but no sign of his wife. “Sigyn? I have returned!” he called out to her.

She emerged from their sleeping chambers a moment later. “I was changing out of my cooking clothes,” she explained while running up to him and throwing herself into his arms. “I missed you every minute of the day!” She kissed him heartily and sighed when he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closely.

“I missed you as well,” he whispered in her ear.

“How much did you miss me?” Sigyn moved her arms down from his shoulders and pressed her hands to his backside.

“Terribly,” he replied, moving his hands down to copy what she was doing.

“How terribly?”

“So terribly I almost left at midday to find you.”

“That is terribly…” She pressed her lips to his again.

Loki wasn’t sure he was going to be able to wait until after supper to enjoy his “after dinner sweets” with Sigyn. As she pulled him through the front room over to one of the pillow-covered benches that dotted the main living area, he realized she wasn’t either. “What about supper?” he asked breathlessly.

“It shall have to wait,” she replied before pushing him down onto the bench. Loki lay down and allowed Sigyn to take control of the situation. As he watched, he sighed to himself. I really do love wedded life, he thought.

A while later, they were seated at the dining table, and Sigyn hovered over him. She held out each dish and let him serve himself. “I made you a roast chicken, and used the fat from it to roast potatoes and other root vegetables,” she explained. “And I made stewed onions and greens, and fresh rolls. And there is wine for drinking. I thought it would go better than just ale.”

Loki ate heartily, enjoying every bite. “You are a wonderful cook,” he declared when he had eaten a third plate of food. “I shall become quite fat if you feed me like this every day.”

Sigyn smiled. “I hope you are not too full yet, for I have made you something for afters too,” she said, standing up and taking the lid off the last plate on the table. She walked over to her husband and presented it to him. “I made a fresh pastry and filled it with nuts, berries, and the last of the fresh fruits of the season,” she said. “Sweetened with just a touch of honey. I do hope you’ll enjoy it.” She cut a small wedge of the pastry for him and set it on a clean plate.

Loki was quite full, but did not want to hurt her feelings, so he picked up a fork and took a bite. He closed his eyes and savored the moment. Sweet flavors burst in his mouth, and the pastry was delightfully light and flaky. When he opened his eyes again, he saw her looking at him apprehensively. “My dear, this is the most delectable thing I have ever had the pleasure to eat,” he declared.

Sigyn’s face broke out into a grin and she sighed with relief. “Oh, I had hoped it turned out well,” she said. Loki held his fork out to her so she could take a bite as well. She ate for a moment and blushed. “It is good…”

Loki pulled her down onto his lap and they took turns feeding each other bites of the pastry. He was very glad Thor was not there to see him like this. He would never hear an end of the teasing.

Sigyn remained on Loki’s lap for a while as they discussed the events of their day. He told her of the latest developments in the battles Odin’s soldiers were fighting and his own role in the newest strategy they were planning. “You do such important things, Loki,” she said admiringly. “You are such an amazing man!”

Loki was listening patiently to her talking about how she had spent her day working with the servants before making his dinner, when he glanced down and noticed red welts on her arm. “Sigyn, what is this? What happened?” he asked, looking concerned. He reached out and brushed his fingers against her arm. “Did you injure yourself in the kitchens?”

Sigyn looked down and pulled her arm away. “Oh…that…” She looked away from him and sighed. “Before returning here with the food, I met Theoric Ivarson in the hallway outside the kitchens. He wished to have a word with me…I fear he is rather angry about the betrothal contract being cancelled by Odin…”

“And he put his hands on you?” Loki’s voice was ice cold and steady, but wrath filled his entire being. “He dared touch you? And he left a mark?”

“He just held onto my arm for a moment before letting me go again, that is all,” she said, trying to reassure her husband. “I had the tray in my arms and he is so large, I had no way of getting away from him.”

Loki set Sigyn back on her feet and stood up from the table. He paced around the room for several minutes, arms folded, not saying anything. “Loki, please do not be angry with me, I did not want to speak with him, but he was too big,” she said quietly, her voice quavering with fear.

Loki stopped pacing and hurried over to her. He placed his arms on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I do not blame you, not at all,” he said tenderly. “It is that man who is to blame.” He let go of her and walked out of the room for a minute. He went into their sleeping chamber and searched the drawers of his dresser until he found what he wanted.

He came back out a short time later, and presented Sigyn with a dagger and scabbard. “I wish for you to wear this whenever you leave our chambers. Theoric is large and imposing and you have no way of fighting against him should he wish to do you harm. Or anybody else, for that matter,” he said. “You are such a tiny thing, and anyone could hurt you…”

Sigyn looked down at the dagger’s shiny silver blade. “This is from my father’s forge,” she murmured.

“It was one of the items we managed to steal as children,” Loki explained. “I have always kept it, but I have others, and I wish for you to have it now. I cannot always be with you, and if I am not there, you must be able to protect yourself and our sons. So, you must promise me that you shall always carry this with you when you leave here. Do you promise?”

“Yes, I promise,” Sigyn said. It did make her feel more secure to have something she could fight with if she had to. Her father had given her lessons with various weapons as a child, thinking it was part of everybody’s upbringing, regardless of their sex.

Loki was pleased with her willingness to obey him, and kissed her tenderly. “I am glad of this,” he said before moving back to the benches in the main room. Sigyn cleaned up the table while he looked through his shelves of books. “When you are finished, I would like to spend the evening teaching you letters,” he called out as he picked up the primer he’d kept from his childhood.

“Don’t you want to continue your studies?” Sigyn asked as she placed empty plates on the tray.

“I don’t need to every night,” he replied. “A couple nights a week, I should like to devote to teaching you to read.”

“You do not think it shall be dangerous to have a wife who can read? Will not people talk?”

“I do not care what people think, I care that my wife can read. And that one day she shall teach our sons to read. And besides, you are the wife of a Prince of Asgard, not a lowly serving girl anymore. It is right that you should be able to read.”

Sigyn blushed. “I would very much like that, Loki,” she replied. “I should like to read stories to our sons one day. But you mustn’t neglect your own studies. I have much to keep me occupied in the evenings. I can knit, sew, or spin. I have much to do before our sons are born…” She patted her stomach and smiled.

“There will be plenty of time for all of that,” Loki assured her. “But tonight we will start with letters.”

When Sigyn finished cleaning up from dinner, she joined Loki on the bench. He started slowly, pointing out to her what each letter looked like and what it was called. The evening flew by as they worked together.

By the time Sigyn’s eyes began to flutter, she was able to point to every letter Loki called out. “You are learning very quickly,” he declared as they retired to their sleeping chambers. “My clever wife.”

After tenderly making love to Sigyn, Loki fell into a deep sleep while holding her in his arms.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn adjust to married life and the pregnancy, but not everybody is happy with it...  
> TW: attempted rape, violence against a woman

The first days of Loki’s wedded bliss passed quickly into weeks, and before he knew it, he had been wedded for a month. Thor had finally been invited to join the newly-wedded couple, and was coming to supper that evening. Sigyn was very nervous about it. She had been fretting for days and Loki had to spend a lot of time reassuring her.

Early that morning, Loki woke up feeling very ill. Sigyn was not in their bed. “Where are you?” he called out to her in his mind.

“In the washing room,” came her reply.

Loki got out of bed and wrapped a robe around himself before walking out of the room and over to the washing room. He saw Sigyn kneeling on the floor in front of the chamber pot, retching, when he arrived. “What is the matter?” he asked, rushing over to her side and kneeling beside her.

“I do not know, but I cannot stop,” her reply came into his mind, for she was unable to speak aloud.

Loki held onto her for a moment before calling out to the servants. When one arrived, he instructed him to call for a healer to come as soon as possible. “My wife is very ill!”

Sigyn vomited for a few more minutes before it subsided and she slid onto the floor, exhausted. Loki helped her to a seated position and placed a hand on her forehead. “I do not think you have a fever. Perhaps it was something you ate?”

“Perhaps,” Sigyn whispered, her eyes closed, tears streaming down her cheeks from all the exertion.

A healer arrived shortly and helped move Sigyn back into her sleeping chambers. She did an examination on Sigyn and looking knowingly at the younger girl. “It is the pregnancy sickness, I am afraid,” she diagnosed. “It is far from pleasant, but it is a good sign that the babies are growing strong within you. You will no doubt experience this throughout the first few months, usually in the morning. Most women find that it disappears altogether eventually.”

“Is there nothing that can be done?” Loki asked, holding Sigyn’s hand and looking concerned. “I do not wish for her to be so ill all the time.”

The healer smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, no. This is perfectly normal, and you have nothing to worry about. Make sure she drinks a lot of liquids and eats soft foods. And if you need something to calm her stomach, give her mint tea or mint leaves to chew on.”

Sigyn placed a hand on her stomach. “When will I start to grow larger?” she asked, changing the subject. She was curious about the changes that were to take place over the course of her pregnancy, but had nobody to ask about it.

“Not for a few more months,” the healer answered.

Loki wasn’t satisfied with what the healer was telling them. He took Sigyn’s hand and squeezed it, looking extremely concerned. “Is she able to do normal things still? Perhaps she should be confined to the bed…”

The healer shook her head. “No, your wife is quite healthy. She should be able to go about her life without too many complications besides feeling ill on occasion.”

“But, what if—”

“Loki, darling, I shall be fine,” Sigyn said firmly while reaching out with her free hand to caress his cheek. “There is no need to fret.”

Loki hated the thought of something happening to Sigyn or the babies, but knew that she was going to be insistent about this. There was no use in fighting it this early on in the pregnancy. “Very well, you may go about your days unhindered,” he replied graciously. “But you must take extra care from now on. If you feel tired, you are to sit and rest. There is to be no exerting yourself unnecessarily.”

“Yes Loki,” Sigyn replied. The healer left a few minutes later, and Loki tucked Sigyn back into bed. “I am still rather tired,” she murmured. Loki settled in next to her and held her close. She fell back to sleep, comforted by his strong arms, and the sound of his steady heartbeat.

Loki lay awake for some time, worrying about things that had been weighing down on him since he had wedded. Theoric’s brazenness of late, Odin’s continued preference of Thor, and Sigyn’s pregnancy all filled him with anxiety. At the moment, his wife’s condition was the worry that ate away at him. She was carrying twins, which was bound to be more difficult than a normal pregnancy. And she wanted so badly to prove to him how capable she was, and he knew that she was likely to push herself too much. He would have to watch over her very closely, and insist on her returning to her bed any time she seemed overwrought. It was up to him to protect her, and the babies. He knew that she wouldn’t fight him terribly if the time came for him to insist she change her actions. He drifted back to sleep, feeling sure of his abilities as a protector for his family.

(SCENE)

“Are you certain you are able to make supper tonight?” Loki asked for the fourth time later that morning at the breakfast table. “Thor will not mind if the servants prepare the meal.”

“No, your brother is our first guest of honor in our home, and _I_ shall prepare the meal for him,” Sigyn insisted stubbornly. “If I tire, I shall sit down. Do not fret, my husband!”

Loki reached out and took her hand in his. “It is my solemn duty as your husband to fret over you,” he replied. “I do not wish any harm to befall you.”

Sigyn smiled. “You act as if I am the first woman to have ever had a baby,” she replied.

“You are the first woman I have ever known to have a baby—two babies! You must take care of yourself.”

“And I shall!” Sigyn insisted before standing up and moving over to sit on his lap. “Do you know, that I did not tell you everything my kinswomen told me before we were wedded?” she said. “Would you like to hear what they said was perfectly acceptable for a pregnant woman to be able to do?”

Loki nodded his head. Sigyn leaned in and whispered a long string of bawdy descriptions into his ear. Some of it was so shocking he actually blushed. “You really think all of that is all right to do when you’re pregnant?” he asked, his voice husky.

Sigyn grinned. “I do,” she replied. “Perhaps tonight, after your brother has left, we could try some of it out…”

“But I…” 

"You _did_ want me to spend more time in bed, yes? Wouldn’t those things be a more enjoyable thing to do while I was there?” Loki grinned and kissed her. She responded by slipping a hand down against him. “But I do not wish to wait until then. I wish to have you right now. Right here.”

Loki grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Who am I to deny my wife of her fondest wishes?” he said while she unbuttoned his tunic. He found that when she began her ministrations, his concern over her well-being temporarily disappeared, and all he felt was their shared pleasures.

He arrived at Odin’s throne room an hour late that morning, but Odin did not question him. Odin had once been a newly-wed himself. There was a lot of war-related business that needed their attention, but Loki’s mind was on Sigyn and the pregnancy. It was difficult for him to concentrate.

At the midday meal in the dining hall, he broached the subject with his father. “Father, what do you recall of the time Frigga was carrying me? What was it like? Sigyn has begun to have her pregnancy sickness, and I wish to help her in any way I can.”

Odin took a deep breath and several sips of ale as he pondered the question. “Well…that is all something your mother could answer to better than I could, being the woman’s realm after all. But from what I recall, there were no complications or troubles at all. Now, your brother, he was stubborn. Born two weeks later than we were expecting. Frigga was not happy.”

Loki nodded his head. “I would imagine so,” he commented while looking around the hall. He stopped when he saw Theoric sitting with his kinsmen, speaking in low tones. Occasionally, Theoric’s father Ivar would whisper into his son’s ear and he would nod in response. “Father, what do you know of Theoric? I believe he means to cause trouble. I did not tell you, but he confronted Sigyn while she was unattended a couple weeks ago. He laid his hands on her, and left marks on her arm.”

“Have you spoken to him of this?” Odin said, looking concerned as he turned his gaze to Theoric.

“Not yet,” Loki replied. “But if he touches her again, I may have to kill him. I just thought you ought to know. He is one of your prized soldiers after all.”

Theoric looked over in their direction and glared. “You’d be well within your rights to, my son,” Odin replied. “I have wondered that he has not taken the dissolution of the marriage contract well. He has had a poor attitude lately, and the rest of the family has been resentful as well. I noted that neither he nor his family attended the wedding ceremony or the feast…”

“I was too busy to notice,” Loki commented, “but he was not missed.” When Theoric glanced over at him again, Loki stood up. Theoric was older even than Thor, and perhaps larger and stronger as well, but Loki was a man grown now, in the eyes of Odin, and he needed to be seen defending what was his. His heart pounded with fear, but he forced himself to do his duty anyway.

He stopped just before Theoric and granted himself a moment to regain his composure before speaking. “Theoric, I wish to speak with you. I will not permit you to speak to my wife. And I will not even hear of you touching her again.”

Theoric set down his cask of ale and stood up. He placed his hand on the pommel of his sword and looked down at Loki. “The littlest son of Odin wishes to put me in my place. And how does he intend to do so?”

“I have my ways,” Loki growled.

“What, your magic spells? Did Odin never teach you that magic is a woman’s tricks? Perhaps you should be at home with your wife, spinning wool and knitting. Would that not be a better place for you?” Theoric spat at Loki’s feet. “Go back to your table and your father, boy. These matters are too much for one so young and tiny.”

Loki burned with rage and humiliation and had to concentrate all his efforts on not blushing like a maiden. There was no way he could give Theoric a thrashing or beat him in a test of swords. He had no way to save face in this situation. He should never have done this, and now there was no way out of it. There was nothing to be done except to return to Odin’s side. With his shoulders squared and his head held as high as he could manage, he turned and walked away without another word.

“Run home to your wife and stay by her side, Odinson!” Theoric called out after him before sitting back on the bench with his kinsmen.

Loki spent the long walk back to Odin’s table thinking of all the things he wanted to do to Theoric, and all the things he could _actually_ do to him. Perhaps he could experiment with different poisons, like he had always intended, but never had the time to. Or perhaps he could try out some of the torture spells he had recently read about. Magic was useful in many different ways, and if more people saw that, perhaps wars would not be so long and useless. Magic could be used to quickly quell an enemy, and control him. But no others saw value in that, sadly. Perhaps when he was king of Asgard, he would exact his revenge on Theoric, and protect the realm far more efficiently than the current method being used. Loki sat down next to Odin once again, seething with anger and continuing to plot what he would do with Sigyn’s former intended. It made him feel slightly better to know that one day he would exact his vengeance.

Sigyn surprised him out of his plotting by joining him at Odin’s table for the rest of the midday meal. Loki was delighted to see her and insisted on showing her off to Thor and all of his friends, who had come to the table while he’d been confronting Theoric. “Sigyn here has been working all this day preparing a meal that Thor shall be eating with us tonight,” he explained as he summoned a serving girl to prepare a plate of food for her. “She is a most excellent cook.”

“My, my, how lucky for Loki and Thor to have such an attentive woman to serve them,” Lady Sif said with a cool smile. “Loki chose well when he wedded you.”

Sigyn blushed and looked down at her plate. Sif looked at her as if she was nothing, and it made her feel like nothing. Loki noticed this, and placed his hand on hers, squeezing it encouragingly. “Do not worry my dearest, she is merely jealous of your talents,” he said in her mind.

When Sigyn finished her meal and stood to leave, Loki reached his hand out and placed it against her belly. “My sons ate well today,” he said with a smile.

“They were very hungry,” she replied, running her fingers up and down his arm affectionately. She glanced around the hall to see if anybody was watching, hoping to steal a kiss from her husband, but noticed Theoric watching them. With a sigh, she stepped away from Loki. “I must return to the kitchens,” she said before taking her leave. “I shall see you tonight at supper.”

A voice Sigyn hoped never to hear again called out to her on her journey back to the kitchens. She did not stop for Theoric, but continued to walk as quickly as possible away from him. But Theoric was quick on his feet, and easily caught up with her. “Sigyn, stop!” He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “I will speak my piece!”

Sigyn’s heart pounded with fear as she looked up at him. “What is it you want?” she asked timidly.

“Do you bear Loki’s child? I saw you with him in the dining hall just now. Is that why our contract was broken? Did you lie with him after we were betrothed and somehow manage to convince Odin to allow a marriage? Is that what happened?” Theoric’s eyes were full of anger and malice and he stepped threateningly towards her. “You will tell me now!” he screamed.

Sigyn turned to run back to the dining hall, but he caught her by the arm and held tightly to it. “You wanted a man with higher rank than I and seduced that boy, didn’t you? You convinced him he was in love and that Odin needed to facilitate a wedding. I suppose I was not good enough for you.” He reached down, grabbed her other arm, and pulled her against him. “Perhaps, since you made a whore of yourself to Loki, I should make a _cuckold_ of him!”

He pulled her back down the hall, towards a window, covered by thick drapes. She resisted as best she could, but he was too strong. “Loki!” she screamed out loud and into his mind. It was then, just as Theoric pushed her behind the drapes and was fumbling with his belt, the she remembered the dagger Loki had given to her. She reached down and removed it from the scabbard, gripped it tightly, and lashed out at Theoric. “Get away from me!” she screamed. She cut his arm, and he cried out in pain, and brought his hand across her face hard, which caused her to drop the dagger. It fell with a clatter and slid across the floor away from them. She was now defenseless against him.

Loki heard Sigyn’s scream in his mind while still seated in the dining hall. He jumped up, called out to Thor to join him, and raced out of the hall, drawing his sword as he went. He followed Sigyn’s description of where she was, and found her a minute later, on the floor, looking as though she’d been thrown there. “Get away from my wife!” he cried while running towards Theoric.

Theoric drew his sword, fully prepared for battle. Loki was far from a master swordsman, but he could not think properly at the moment. He knew Thor was not far behind him, and would come to his aid.

Theoric leaned down as Loki ran from the end of the hallway, and grabbed Sigyn by the hair, hauling her back up to her feet. “Come to rescue your whore?” he shouted. Tears streamed down Sigyn’s face, the pain of his grip on her hair was excruciating. He took his sword and raised it to her neck. “Let us see how you look with a haircut!” He brought the sword over to the handful of hair he held her by, and used it to slice through her hair. With the tension released, Sigyn was flung back to the floor and Theoric turned towards Loki and Thor, brandishing his sword at them.

The hall was filling with people coming out of the kitchens to investigate the noises. There were many witnesses who watched as Theoric began to run towards Loki and Thor. Loki and Thor, their swords raised, increased their speed towards him. Sigyn was still on the floor, and saw the dagger that she had lost in the fight. She grabbed it tightly in her hand and lunged forward, swiping the dagger across the back of Theoric’s ankles as hard as she could. Theoric lost his balance, and his knees buckled under him, throwing his entire body forward onto Loki and Thor’s swords right as they reached him. The inertia of Theoric’s weight cause all three of the men to fall over, the brothers buried under the dying body of Sigyn’s attacker.

Sigyn stood up carefully and took a deep breath before approaching the fallen men. Her heart raced as she tried to find her husband under the mess. What if Theoric’s sword had struck him or Thor as they’d fallen? She kept the dagger in her hand and looked out to the crowd, where she could see many of Theoric’s kinsmen who had come out of the dining hall to see what the noise was. All of their swords were drawn and anger clouded their faces. She took another deep breath before looking defiantly at them all. “This man attacked me!” She pointed her dagger down at the heap on the floor. “Theoric Ivarson tried to take me by force, and then he attacked my kinsmen. We were within our rights to slay him!”

Volstagg pushed his way through the crowd, followed quickly by the Lady Sif, Fandral, and Hogun. All drew their swords and surrounded their friends. Volstagg bent down and lifted Theoric’s now-lifeless body off of Thor and Loki, and threw it aside. The brothers stood up and turned to the crowd, their bloody swords raised as well.

Theoric’s father stepped to the front of the on-looking crowd, looking full of grief and rage. “You slew my eldest! I demand vengeance! I demand blood for blood.” He drew his sword and pointed it at Loki.

Thor held his arm out in front of Loki and stepped in front of him, pointing his own sword at Theoric. “Nobody threatens my brother!” he cried angrily.

Odin came out of the dining hall and walked through the crowd and over to Theoric’s body. “What has happened here?” he demanded.

Loki stepped forward. “Father, I was defending my wife’s honor. Theoric tried to take her by force, and I had to stop it. I was within my rights as a man and a husband to do so.”

Odin turned to Sigyn with a frown. “Is this true, girl? Was he trying to force himself on you?”

“Yes, Allfather, it is true,” Sigyn replied earnestly. “It was not the first confrontation we’d had. It is why Loki gave me this to carry with me.” She held out the bloody dagger to show him. “Look at Theoric’s arm and you will see a cut I gave him a short time ago to try and stop him.”

“You would trust the word of a woman? Odin, you have grown soft in your old age!” Ivar cried out. “She made a fool of Theoric. When the betrothal contract was dissolved, there were no prospects for another contract with another maiden. No family would allow him to enter into marriage with such a blight upon his honor! He would never be able to father legitimate sons. You stole his life from him, Odin! He had a right to exact vengeance. I demand blood for blood. My son has died, and no family will be wedded to any of my other children. You have ended my bloodline! It is only just that I end yours!”

Odin walked over to Ivar and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “These are the words of a grieving father,” he said coolly. “Your son did this to himself by his own actions. Now let this be an end of it.”

“There shall never be an end of it, Odin!” Ivar drew his sword. “You throw crumbs to your people like we are dogs and expect us to be happy for it. You would do well to heed my words. Many of us feel that the line of the Allfather has ruled Asgard long enough, and it is time for another line to take over.”

Thor moved to Odin’s side, sword still drawn. “Let me kill him now, father! I grow tired of his treasonous speech,” he growled.

Odin raised his arm and held Thor back. “Let me deal with this,” he replied quietly. He looked carefully at Ivar before speaking again. “Ivar, I believe you have poisoned Theoric’s mind against me and my family. He betrayed his commander _and_ his king, both of which are punishable by death. This has already been meted out. You ask for justice in this situation, and I shall give it to you. Theoric did not die a warrior’s death, and therefore shall not be granted entrance to Valhalla. You shall be remanded to the prisons for your role in this, and for directly challenging your king. The rest of your kin shall have until the morrow to pack their belongings and leave this palace. The house of Ivar is forthwith banished! If any remain after sun-up, they will be killed on sight. This is my decree as Odin Allfather.” He signaled for the guards to arrest Ivar.

“My son should go to Valhalla! You have destroyed everything! Give him that honor at least!” Ivar’s cries lasted all the way down the hall.

Loki was shaking from all the recent events. He walked over to Sigyn, and took her hand in his. He had never seen his father act so forceful before, and found it intimidating. Could he ever act in the same manner one day if he was king? Sigyn was also shaking, and allowed him to hold her tightly. They were both looking in awe at Odin as a strange woman suddenly appeared at his side. It was as though she blinked into existence right next to him.

The woman was very tall, with iridescent skin, and long, inky black hair that had been twisted and tied into what looked like a crown of branches atop her head. She wore a long green cloak loosely about her body, and seemed almost to float next to Odin. She was both excruciatingly beautiful and horrible to look upon at the same time, and Loki found that he could not look away from her.

“What have you summoned me for, Odin?” the woman asked. Her voice was soft and seductive, and did not match the fierceness of her features.

“I need you to take Theoric,” Odin replied, pointing to the man’s body on the floor. “He is not being granted entrance to Valhalla.”

“Always sending me to do your dirty work,” the woman muttered. “Valhalla should be mine as well, though I know you will hear none of it. We shall fight that fight again another day.”

Loki noticed the crowd in the hall diminish as many people ran away from the woman. “Do not let her touch you!” one of them cried as they ran.

“She will take you with her if she does!” another one cried.

He felt Sigyn slip behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. She was quaking with fear. “Do not worry, Sigyn, I shall keep you safe,” he said reassuringly with more confidence than he truly felt. Even Thor stepped aside from the woman in fear of her touch.

The woman turned at the sound of Loki’s voice, and looked carefully down at him. She smiled sadly and glanced over his shoulder at Sigyn. “You have taken a wife,” she said, “And she already carries your young. And you are still so young yourself…”

Loki gazed up into her face and saw icy blue eyes that exactly matched his, gazing back. She made him feel so strange. He did not fear her as the others did. Why was that? “Do I know you? Who are you?” he asked in a quiet voice.

The woman smiled down upon him. “I am Constant. I am Always. I am Ever. I am Hela, ruler of Hel. And yes, we have met before. But it was a long time ago, and you do not remember,” she replied. “But we shall become friends, you and I. Where you go in life, I follow in your wake.”

Loki felt himself grow ice cold, but did not shiver. Hela…So this was Hela. He had heard her name whispered in terror, but had never seen her before. She was quite frightening to behold, and he saw why so many feared her very presence.

“Hela!” Odin growled in a tone of warning.

Hela turned from Loki and returned to Odin’s side. “He does not know?” she asked. When Odin didn’t respond, she laughed a terrible laugh. “So, that is how it is to be this time,” she murmured. “Very well…” With that, she returned to Theoric’s body and bent down to touch it. “Come Theoric, I have much work still to do this day,” she said.

Loki and Sigyn watched in terrified silence as a shape that matched Theoric’s body emerged from it. To Loki it seemed like a shadow. It took Hela’s hand and began to move along with her. “You may dispose of the body, it is empty now,” she said to Odin before disappearing in front of their eyes.

Sigyn let out a sigh and slumped against the wall in relief. Everything that had gone on was too much for her to bear and she began to cry, not caring who saw her. Odin frowned and looked at Loki. “She has seen and done much today. She is overwrought. Take her to the healing rooms and see that she is well.”

Loki took Sigyn’s arm and carefully led her away. “Everything shall be fine,” he promised. Once they had reached the healing rooms, he let the healers take over and sat down in a chair next to her bed. The weight and reality of what he had done just a short time ago and everything that had come of it, crashed down upon him. He began to shake again, and one of the healers wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and gave him something very potent to drink. It soothed his nerves and he took Sigyn’s hand while she was being thoroughly examined.

The healers determined that the babies had not been hurt by the attack, but wanted her to stay overnight to be safe. “But what about Thor’s supper?” Sigyn wailed. “It is ruined now!” “I do not think he will mind,” Loki assured her. He moved a bed over next to hers and slid into it. He would be staying overnight as well, for he refused to leave his wife’s side.

Many hours later, when they were talking quietly to themselves about the day’s events, they were happily interrupted when Thor arrived, bearing with him a large tray of food. “I had the kitchen servants finish cooking our meal for you,” he said as he set the tray down at the foot of Loki’s bed. I do not see why we should have to miss our meal just because Sigyn must stay here tonight.” He sat down on the bed and began to dish food onto the plates for everybody. “Eat up!” he commanded.

All three of them ate in contented silence until all the food was gone. “Your husband is right, Sigyn,” Thor said when he’d finished placing the empty dishes on the tray. “You are a wonderful cook. I hope one day when I am wedded, that my wife shall be as good a cook as you are.” He sighed and the three sat in awkward silence for a moment. “Brother…as you are staying the night here with Sigyn, do you mind if I join you? It has been a day full of so many new events…” He looked uncomfortable, and sounded as though he was setting his pride aside to make this request.

For once Loki didn’t mind Thor being in his presence. All three of them had been responsible for taking a life, and it was difficult to think about. Perhaps being together would help. He nodded his head and Thor grinned before pushing another bed over next to Loki’s. He settled in next to his brother. “It shall be like when we were children,” he said.

All three struggled to fall asleep that night, but Loki stayed awake the longest. He replayed Theoric’s death in his mind over and over. He had helped to kill a man today, and then watched as Hela had taken the soul to the underworld. Hela said they had known one another, but he had no recollection of it. And Odin knew something he wasn’t telling Loki, and didn’t want Hela to reveal to him what it was. It left him feeling cold and unsettled. Why were people keeping secrets about his life? He moved over and curled up around Sigyn, finding solace in her gentle breathing and heartbeat. Eventually he drifted off into a fitful sleep.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn's pregnancy progresses and life moves on from her attack.

Life after Theoric’s demise carried on as life always does, though with some changes. Loki continued to make Sigyn wear his dagger wherever she went, and he felt better for it. Knowing that she was armed and could fight off any attacker was comforting. It gave him the freedom to spend more time keeping a closer eye on Odin in hopes of finding out what information he was withholding from him. Sigyn went about her days as always, tending to Loki’s needs, working with the servants to keep their home running properly, and enjoying the excitement of her pregnancy.

Sigyn had been forced to cut off the rest of her hair, to match what had been cut off by Theoric. It had left her devastated for days. Loki had been sad as well, for he loved her beautiful white blonde locks. “It shall grow back,” he had reassured her, though it had done no good.

Frigga had helped them out, visiting one day and bringing with her a beautiful green scarf she had woven herself. She taught Sigyn how to wrap it about her head, covering her hair entirely. She assured her that Sigyn looked as beautiful as ever. “I don’t doubt that all the maidens will wrap their hair this way when they see you walking about. It is quite fashionable.” She encouraged Sigyn to reenter society. “Your hair will grow back soon enough.”

Sigyn began to join Loki at meals in the dining halls, and found that nobody noticed her hair. It made her feel much more confident. Lady Sif, having heard in great detail of Sigyn’s role in the now-famed “Slaying of Theoric”, became friendlier towards her. “That showed great bravery,” she commented at the midday meal one day.

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “I did not know if Loki and Thor would be able to hold him off,” she replied. “Theoric was so large, and so ferocious, I only tried to assist them.”

“Well, it was good you did,” Sif insisted. “You had every right to defend yourself and Loki, and the babes.”

Sigyn reached down and patted her stomach. “I am glad nothing bad happened to any of them,” she admitted. She was silent for a moment before speaking again. Her voice was quiet, conspiratorial. “I feel I could kill a man with my own hands if it would protect Loki or the babes…Perhaps I have a warrior’s spirit after all.”

“You are to be a mother,” Sif commented. “All mothers are warriors.”

Loki loved having Sigyn join him at communal meals, but he still insisted on retiring to his home to spend the evening alone with her. He continued working on her reading lessons and writing skills and was terribly proud of her progress. He began to write letters to her to read throughout the day, and she loved being able to understand them.

Sigyn wrote letters back as well, though she was displeased with the quality of her printing. “It takes practice, that is all,” Loki said one evening after reading one of her notes.

My Dear Loki,

I loves you very much and wish to be a very good wif to you.

Love Forever,Sigyn

“I think you have a great talent for this,” he concluded after folding up her note and placing it in his pocket for safe-keeping.

Loki also spent many evenings practicing magic, while Sigyn sewed or knitted clothes for the children and watched in awe. “You really are so clever, my husband,” she exclaimed when he perfected another spell. “When the boys are old enough, you shall teach them magic.”

Thor came to dinner once a week, and praised Sigyn’s cooking every time. “You’re truly a wonder in the kitchen, my sister,” he said with a grin one evening. He regaled them with stories about the battles he’d finally been allowed to join, and hunting parties he’d been in. Sigyn was fascinated with everything he said, but Loki would roll his eyes and think about how barbaric his brother was.

Loki put up with Thor, though he still resented the attention Odin poured on him. Rumor had it that Odin was preparing to hand Mjolnir over to Thor and officially name him the heir to the throne. Odin was not going to step down any time soon, so there was no need to worry about Thor ruling Asgard yet, but it was still cause for concern. How could Odin really think that Thor was fit to rule and Loki was not?

As life continued to march ahead, Sigyn’s pregnancy sickness came more often. She also became very tired. There were days when Loki broke his fast with Thor or Odin because she was still asleep when he had gotten ready for the day. She napped on most days in the afternoon as well. And he could tell her appetite was increasing too, for she now ate more than he did at their meals.

Her mood also seemed to be more tumultuous than he was used to it being. When Loki would give her reading lessons in the evenings, sometimes she made a mistake, and would burst into tears. It would take some time to console her. She cried rather frequently over a lot of things now. One morning, he requested she make him a roast chicken for dinner. He was rather fond of her specialty dish.

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I was going to prepare fish tonight!” she cried before standing up and rushing out of the room sobbing. He was perplexed and knew not how to rectify the situation, so he left for the day after sending a loving message to Sigyn’s mind.

When he shared this with Odin that morning, Odin clapped Loki on the shoulder. “Do not worry, my son, for that is a normal part of pregnancy as well. The same thing that makes a woman ill also makes her hysterical. It shall pass eventually.”

Loki felt better to hear that, and made sure to do his best not to upset Sigyn after that. When he decided it was time to invite his parents over for dinner, he broached the subject carefully one morning when Sigyn appeared to be in a good mood. “I think that would be a wonderful idea,” she said with a smile.

Loki invited his parents that morning and Sigyn spent nearly a full week planning the meal with the servants. “Everything must be perfect; your parents are guests of honor,” she fretted one evening.

Loki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto a nearby bench. “Everything shall be fine,” he assured her before giving her a kiss. “And now, let us no longer speak of my parents or the dinner for the rest of the night.”

“Well then, what shall we do for the rest of the night?” Sigyn looked hungrily at her husband. “I do not wish to practice reading tonight…”

“And I do not wish to practice magic tonight,” Loki replied with a grin. He reached out and began to untie the front of her tunic. He ran his hands over her body, wondering what she would look like when she began to grow larger. He had never seen a pregnant woman before, and was quite curious, though the healers had told them what to expect. He leaned in and began to kiss her body, loving the softness and scent of her skin.

As the night continued, Loki devoted all of his attention to his wife, and seeing that all her needs and desires were met. And he was happy that she did not cry one time.

(SCENE)

Odin and Frigga came to dinner a couple days later. Loki tried not to show how nervous he was, but he was concerned about the food and Sigyn’s well-being and how his parents would think about his home. Frigga had visited a couple times, but Odin had never set foot there before. What would he think?

Sigyn had spent all day making dinner and she felt rather confident that Loki’s parents would like the food. Per Loki’s instructions, the servants had carried the food back to their chambers for her before been given the evening off. She wanted just the four of them to be there, enjoying one another’s company.

Frigga and Odin arrived with gifts of ale and bread for them. Sigyn hugged both of them as they stepped into the room. “Welcome to our home,” she said, waving them inside.

Loki stepped forward and took the gifts from Odin. “No unnecessary strain,” he said to Sigyn as she reached out for them. “You go sit down, and rest, my love.”

Frigga joined Sigyn at the table while Loki gave his father a tour of his home. Odin was duly impressed with all of Loki’s belongings and how Sigyn had set everything up. “The servants are very obedient, and Sigyn is an ideal wife. I am very contented with my life at the moment. I thank you again for consenting to me being wedded to her,” Loki said when he was showing Odin his collection of daggers. He had placed them on pegs set into the walls around his sleeping chamber to show them off.

“I am glad you are happy, my son,” Odin replied with a smile. He ran a finger over one of the daggers. “Wedded life seems to agree with you. Fatherhood shall as well, I think.”

Loki looked at Odin carefully. It wasn’t very often he had the man in complete privacy and thought maybe it was time to take advantage of it. “Father…I wish to ask you something that has been weighing down on me for a while now,” he said. Odin folded his arms and looked at Loki. “What Hela said when she saw me that day…What is it you aren’t telling me? If it is about my life, then do I not have a right to know?” His heart pounded and he willed his voice to remain steady.

Odin took a deep breath and looked away from his son for a moment. “It is complicated, Loki…” he said slowly. “It is nothing to be concerned about, however. Hela spoke out of turn and she had no right to. Her relationship to me is complex, and she likes to toy with me when she gets the chance. She wishes to gain control of Valhalla, which has always been under my control, and she will use lies and tricks to get it if she must. She was toying with you as well in order to upset me, that is all. Do not think on it for one more moment, because that is what she wants. Do not give her that power over you.” He picked the dagger up in his hand and looked down at it before continuing. “I had hoped you would never have to meet her. Hela is the most meddlesome woman I know. I am sorry that she has caused you to worry needlessly.”

Loki nodded his head but didn’t meet Odin’s eyes. Why did he feel that he trusted Hela more than his own father? Perhaps he should try to seek her out somehow. Maybe she would tell him what she had meant that Odin was clearly trying to cover up. “All right, father. I shall think on it no further…” he replied with a smile. “Let us return to the dining table. I’m sure Sigyn has gotten all the dishes set up.” Odin followed behind him as they walked out of the sleeping chamber.

Sigyn and Frigga were talking happily at the dining table when the men arrived. Loki hoped Sigyn had not set out the dishes herself, for he could tell they were quite heavy. Hopefully, Frigga had helped her out.

Sigyn had insisted on serving a saddle of venison that was far larger than the four of them could eat in one sitting. Loki had grown angry with her for the first time and had forbidden her to lift it. “You will have one of the kitchen servants do that for you. I absolutely will not permit you to do that yourself!” She had cried for some time after, but came around to see his point of view eventually. He had felt bad about yelling at her and had brought her flowers that night to apologize. “I did not mean to lose my temper. It’s just that I care so much for you and the babes…” Sigyn had readily forgiven him and promised not to do anything that used too much exertion.

“I helped Sigyn set the table,” Frigga commented as they sat down. Loki always found it uncanny how his mother could almost read his mind at times. “I lifted the venison to the table so she wouldn’t have to strain herself. Carrying twins is hard enough work, so I was happy to help.”

Odin smiled as he looked at the dishes set out on the table. “My dear girl, you should not have gone to such trouble on our account,” he said. “But since you did, I intend to eat my fill! Frigga is always urging me to watch what I eat, but tonight it would be rude of me not to indulge myself…”

Loki stood and carved the venison for his wife and guests. As the husband, it was his duty to do the carving, though on most evenings, he let Sigyn do it. “The meat is so tender,” he commented as he placed slices on plates and passed them around. “Sigyn really is the best cook. I truly am a lucky man.”

Frigga smiled at her daughter-in-law. “It is wonderful for you to be so attentive to Loki,” she said, “but as the wife of a Prince of Asgard, you needn’t continue to do such menial tasks if you do not wish to. There are plenty of servants here for you. Do not be afraid to use them. Sometimes I think you forget you are no longer a serving girl.”

Sigyn smiled graciously. “I do so enjoy preparing my husband’s meals. But perhaps when I am more grown with the pregnancy and after the babes are born, I shall let the servants do the cooking,” she replied while setting her plate in front of her.

“I think that is a wise idea,” Loki added approvingly. “You shall be far too busy with children to deal with cooking.”

Sigyn began to pass around bowls of potatoes, vegetables, and the sauce she’d prepared for the meat. “I imagine I will be too busy with children for most anything else…” she replied. “Babies need so much attention, do they not, Frigga?”

“Oh my, yes,” Frigga replied. “For the first year of their lives at least, you may find your entire life is consumed by them. Your every waking moment, and most of your sleeping ones, shall be entirely devoted to your babes.” She took a bite of potato and ate for a minute before speaking again. “Loki, you will have to be patient with Sigyn when the children are born. She will not be able to devote as much time to you and your needs as she does now. Her children will be first in her eyes once they are here.”

Loki glanced at Sigyn. Would she really abandon him? She was his Sjalsfrande, surely she would not leave him behind. “Do not worry, my love. I will always be there for you,” came her reply in his mind. “You may have to help rear the children a little, but we shall still be in one another’s lives just as we are now.”

Loki thought about this for a while. Child-rearing was strictly women’s work. Odin had not paid any mind to either him or Thor until they were nearly fully-grown and ready to learn about men’s work. Would he have any idea how to care for children?

“You might have to find a nursemaid to help Sigyn with the children,” Odin added. “She’ll be having twins, and that will be a difficult undertaking to do alone.”

“I shall make sure she does not have to work alone,” Loki assured his father.

The two couples ate their meal while talking about various topics. Sigyn and Frigga spoke about the pregnancy and babies while Loki and Odin discussed the latest battle.

When everybody had eaten their fill, Sigyn served the afters. She had prepared another pastry, but with dried fruits, since the season for fresh fruit had passed. It was sweet and delectable, and Odin ate half of it himself before declaring himself full. “Loki, you indeed have an excellent wife,” he declared while standing up from the table and walking into the main living space. Loki joined his father by the fire while Frigga and Sigyn cleared the table.

Odin continued to praise the newly-wedded couple. “I must admit that I had major reservations before permitting you two to wed, but I think things are truly working out well.”

Loki enjoyed having his father’s approval in at least one area of his life. It felt good to know that he was not a complete failure in Odin’s view. “I hope I am proving myself to be a responsible man,” he replied.

“You are, Loki. Do not doubt that.”

Frigga and Sigyn finished clearing the table, and joined their husbands by the fire. Sigyn knitted stockings while Frigga sewed a blanket for her grandsons. They sat in silence while the men discussed war strategies once again. It was not for women to join in with discussion of war, though Sigyn was curious about it.

“Allfather, what is it that the Frost Giants want from us?” she asked during a lull. “Kjell taught me that they wish to rule Asgard themselves. He said they would kill all the men and ravage the women and make them their slaves. Is this true?” she shivered at the thought.

Odin smiled at Sigyn and reached out to pat her hand. “You needn’t fear them, my dear girl,” he replied. “My soldiers and I have kept them at bay for many a year now. That is not about to change any time soon.”

“The Frost Giants have never gotten past us,” Loki added reassuringly. “They would not even know what to do if they did. Everybody knows that Frost Giants are little more than beasts of burden who only know of war. It is we who should enslave them.”

“Alas, I fear they cannot be domesticated enough even for that,” Odin added jokingly. “And so, we war with them.”

“What about the other realms?” Sigyn asked curiously. “Have they made war with us before?”

Odin shook his head. “Most of the other realms know better. They understand the superiority of Asgard and do not wish trouble to come their way. The only realm we have little dealings with is Midgard. They are far from here, and have no real knowledge of our existence. They are far too primitive to be considered a threat. We leave them to themselves mostly, and they do not worry the other realms.”

“My father taught me that Midgard is a realm full of child-like people. He said it was our duty to protect them because they are so very naïve.”

“Kjell was correct. The people who live there are very child-like and quarrelsome among themselves.” He returned to his discussion with Loki after Sigyn appeared to be satisfied with his answers and did not ask him any others.

When it got late, and Sigyn began to yawn, Frigga and Odin took their leave. “I grow so weary these days,” Sigyn murmured as she and Loki walked them to the door.

“Well, you get all the sleep you need,” Frigga replied with a sympathetic smile. “Thank you both for a lovely evening."

Odin shook Loki’s hand before he left. “I am very proud of you, my son,” he said.

Loki walked with Sigyn into their sleeping chambers a short time later. “He said he was proud of me,” he murmured. “He’s never said that before.”

Sigyn smiled as she changed into her nightclothes. “Well, he should be proud of you. I am glad he told you.”

Loki felt elated that night as he made love to Sigyn. She always made him feel as though he might die from uncontained joy when he lay with her, but the added knowledge of Odin’s approval of his life increased his pleasures even further. And when they were done, and Sigyn insisted he remain positioned as he was while she clung tightly to him, he knew she felt it as well.

(SCENE)

Days continued to pass, and the pregnancy sickness continued to plague Sigyn occasionally, though it came less and less often now, which she was very happy about. She had finally begun to show, and was working on letting out all of her clothes, so she could wear them comfortably.

Loki delighted in watching Sigyn’s body change as the pregnancy progressed. To know that he had taken part in creating the life within her made him feel powerful. She wasn’t terribly large now, and only the two of them could really notice it at the moment. It was like a wonderful secret only they knew.

Sigyn joined Loki at the midday meal most of the days and enjoyed getting to know Thor’s friends better as the fun and adventurous people they had become, rather than as the bullies they had been as children. Fandral was always full of fun tales of his exploits, which Loki did his best to censor whenever he spoke of them in Sigyn’s presence.

“Fandral, you are so vulgar! My wife is present. Have you no shame?” he asked one day with a frown.

“No, I have no shame whatsoever,” Fandral confirmed with a wink to Sigyn. “Did I ever tell you of the time I had four different maidens in one night?” he asked her, looking at Loki with a grin.

“No…I think I would have remembered that,” Sigyn replied politely.

“Well, there were four maidens, all sisters, and…” Fandral began until Loki magically produced a scorpion on Fandral’s plate. When he reached down and picked up a piece of bread and moved it up to his mouth to take a bite, he noticed the scorpion on it and yelped. He flung the bread across the table towards Hogun, who whipped out his dagger and stabbed the scorpion.

Fandral stood up from the table and paced back and forth for a moment, trying to calm down again. “Loki!” he cried angrily, turning to the younger man with a glare on his face. “That was uncalled for.”

“So was your story,” Loki replied calmly. “You’d do well to have a few more manners in the presence of a woman.”

“And what am I, a serving boy?” Sif interjected.

Loki rolled his eyes. “You can fend for yourself,” he replied. “Sigyn is my wife and it is for me to look out for her wellbeing. She is in a delicate condition and does not need to be exposed to such crudeness.”

“Oh Loki, I am fine,” Sigyn replied before looking over at Fandral. “So, did you have them one at a time or all at once?”

Loki grimaced and returned to his meal, but planned on having a discussion later that evening with his wife about Thor’s friends.

As time passed, Loki thought Sigyn grew bigger every day. She finally had to have new clothing commissioned to fit her larger body before she could leave their chambers again. Thor mentioned it one night when he came over for dinner. “My sister, I cannot help but notice that you are beginning to grow larger,” he said with a smile. “My brorsons must be growing strong within you.”

Sigyn grinned and patted her belly. “Oh yes they are,” she replied. “I have never eaten more food in my life before now. I think they shall be giants by the time they are born!” She sat down across from Thor. “I am having new clothes made that will fit me because all of mine are too small now.”

“I never knew there was so much involved with pregnancy,” Thor commented. “It is all such a mystery to me. The woman’s realm is very far from my life.”

Later that night, after Thor had taken his leave, Sigyn and Loki sat on one of the benches in their living space. Loki was reading one of his books on magic, and Sigyn was mending some of his clothes. They were sitting in a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts, when Sigyn suddenly gasped and clutched her stomach. “What is it? What has happened?” Loki asked, throwing his book to the floor and kneeling down before her.

“I felt…something,” she said slowly. “It was like a poke or a flutter.”

Loki lifted Sigyn’s tunic, bearing her rounded belly to him. He placed both hands on her stomach and waited to see if he felt anything. After about a minute, he felt a small kick against his right hand. “I felt it!” he cried. “Did you feel it?"

Sigyn nodded her head, tears filling her eyes. “Oh Loki, this is so wonderful,” she whispered. Loki leaned in and kissed her stomach. “It is a wonder.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her stomach. He could feel his sons kick against him a few more times that evening before they settled down again.

At the midday meal the next day, Sigyn sat with Sif, apart from Thor, and his friends. Her friendship with Sif was growing stronger, and Loki was happy to see her making close connections in her new, higher station in life. He, for his part, sat with Frigga.

“Mother, last night I felt my sons kick against my hand. It was amazing,” he said quietly, unable to contain the grin on his face.

Frigga smiled and reached out to caress her son’s cheek. “I am so happy for you, Loki,” she replied. “Sigyn has been so good for you, I can see this now. I am glad that you are taking such delight in her progress. You are going to make a wonderful father when they are born. Your father was never this excited when I was pregnant.”

“I had hoped, mother, that you would be willing to discuss with Sigyn, what my birth was like. To help prepare her for when her time comes. Since her own mother died in childbirth, she has no one to speak to, and I know she is frightened, even if she does not speak of it to me.”

Frigga took a long draught of wine before replying. “Of course, my love, I would be happy to,” she replied with a smile. “I remember your birth vividly…”

That evening, she stopped by their chambers and spent several hours knitting with Sigyn and told her about Thor and Loki’s births and answered all of the girl’s questions. Frigga was the highest trained midwife in all of Asgard, and had seen countless births in her time. Most of her days were spent training younger women in the arts of birth. She was the best source of knowledge Sigyn could have on such matters.

Loki sat nearby, pretending to be studying his magic, but was listening to Frigga’s every word. Since he would not be allowed to be present for the births of his sons, he wanted to hear all about what he would be missing. From what Frigga described, it would be a rather bloody and gruesome experience. Perhaps it was good he would not be there for it.

Frigga knitted a pair of baby-sized stockings before retiring for the evening. “I have been making clothes for them as well,” she said before leaving. “I am very excited about becoming a Far-mor.” She set the stockings down on the bench and stood up to leave. “And equally excited to be the one who will bring them into this world.”

“Mother, you are going to be Sigyn’s midwife?” Loki asked, looking surprised. It was the greatest honor imaginable that she herself would oversee his sons’ births.

“Of course I shall,” Frigga replied with a smile. “I would not hear of anybody else doing it.”

That evening, before bed, Sigyn gazed at her reflection in the mirror of their sleeping chamber. “Loki, do you still find me attractive? Even though I can no longer see my feet?” She frowned and turned sideways to look at her profile.

She was running her hands over her body when Loki looked over from the bed. Her hair had grown down to her shoulders by now, and framed her beautiful face perfectly. His eyes scanned down the rest of her body, and based on his physical reaction, he concluded that he did, indeed, still find her attractive. “Why do you not come to bed and I shall demonstrate for you just how attractive I think you are?” he asked. “Or would you rather I come to you?”

Sigyn turned around and grinned. “Either one would suffice,” she replied while walking towards him. She sat down on the bed next to him and looked down. Her eyebrows rose and her grin got even bigger. “Did I do that to you?” she asked coyly.

Loki nodded and reached out to her. “It is all your fault,” he murmured as they lay back in the bed and began to kiss.

“I am not at all sorry,” Sigyn murmured after a couple minutes.

“Neither am I,” Loki replied. He had to get creative, since he didn’t want to put any strain on Sigyn’s body, but they eventually managed to fall into a comfortable rhythm. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said part way through the night. He caressed her skin and wrapped his arms around her. She was very soft and warm and he never wanted to be parted from her. He fell asleep that night, with his hands pressed against her stomach, enjoying the fluttering kicks of his unborn babes against his palms.

(SCENE)

Sigyn was midway through the pregnancy when she began to have problems. She felt sharp pains and had to sit down for most of the day. She was exhausted all the time and couldn’t eat enough food, for she was always terribly hungry. After one morning, when the sharp pains were bad enough that she dropped the breakfast dishes, Loki insisted on calling for a healer.

A healer promptly arrived and examined Sigyn, in spite of her protests. “I am fine,” she insisted while Loki paced the length of the sleeping chamber. “It’s only a little pain now and then; that is all.”

The healer frowned when she finished her examination. “I fear the weight of the babies is straining your body too much,” she declared. “You are so small and they are demanding too much of you.”

“Is there anything that can be done?” Loki asked, looking worried.

The healer looked at Sigyn and patted her hand. “I know you shall not like this, but I think the time has come for you to enter confinement. You need to remain in bed for the duration of the pregnancy.”

Sigyn’s lower lip began to quiver and tears filled her eyes. “But I am only midway through,” she cried. “It shall be months!”

Loki sat down next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. “It is for the sake of our babes,” he said imploringly. He hated seeing her so upset, even if he knew he couldn’t change the situation. “I shall ask my mother and Sif to visit you often. And your kinswomen can come as well. You shall never be lonesome. And you will be able to do all of your knitting and sewing, and we shall continue your reading and writing lessons. It will be almost as if nothing has changed. You’ll see.”

The healer looked at Loki. “I am afraid that you will no longer be able to be intimate with your wife, for she cannot have any undo strain on her body. You may need to consider taking a lover.”

Sigyn began to sob when she heard this. “Please, you cannot strain yourself so,” Loki said pleadingly, brushing her tears away. “You shall make yourself ill.”

“One good thing to remember,” the healer said, trying to make them feel better, “is that since you are carrying twins, you are likely to deliver early. You will be confined for less time than you think.”

The healer left a short time later, and Loki stayed where he was on the bed. “I don’t intend to take a lover,” he said quietly to Sigyn. “You are my Sjalsfrande. I do not wish to be with anybody else.”

“I am sorry that I can no longer be a proper wife to you,” Sigyn replied miserably. “I had not thought that this would happen and now you will suffer because of it. I will not even be able to prepare your meals…”

“Do not think on it, Sigyn,” Loki said quietly. “We will still find ways to show our love for one another.”

“And I do so love lying with you,” Sigyn pouted. “Your brother may brag about his many exploits, but I pity him for not having somebody he cares about most. I love being with you and you only, but I suppose we shall have to wait until after our sons are born.”

“It shall make it all the more pleasurable for the wait,” Loki said before kissing her tenderly. “Now, I shall go speak to the servants about this. You will need extra care from them from now on…” He pulled away and stood to leave the room.

His heart sank as he walked out. It would be months before he could lie with Sigyn again. He knew it was his right as a man to take a lover if he wished, but he did not like the idea of lying with another woman. He knew Sigyn would be able to see it in her mind, and feel it, if he did. And what about their babes? Would all of this work to keep them safe? He would do anything to keep them safe, and that meant not upsetting Sigyn. He was a man, and a man must be able to endure any hardship.

The servants were very sympathetic when Loki explained the situation to them. He assigned Brynja to be Sigyn’s maid. “You will need to be there for her day and night. Can you do that?”

“It shall be my great honor,” she replied with a bow. “I will go to her now.” She left the room to join Sigyn.

Over the next several days, Loki repositioned their bed so that Sigyn could face the window and look outside during the day when he was gone. Frigga and Sif alternated days paying her visits, and Brynja became her new closest friend and confidante. Brynja had to help her with everything, even intimate things like using a chamber pot, since she could not even get up to go to the washroom.

Loki missed having his wife with him at his midday meal, and tried to occupy himself with Thor and Odin, but it wasn’t the same. “Brother, do you think Sigyn would wish me to continue coming to dinner?” Thor asked a week later. “I miss seeing her…”

“I think Sigyn would enjoy spending time with anybody who wishes to visit her,” Loki replied. “Perhaps I can get the kitchens to prepare something for us instead of having her cook for us.”

During his visits, Thor spent hours listening about himself talk about his adventures and Sigyn held onto his every word with wonder and sheer joy. “Oh Thor, that sounds so thrilling! Did the bilgesnipe get terribly close to your hunting party?”

“No, but I ran out to it and stuck it with my sword. It ran but I gave chase and finished it off rather easily.”

“Oh my…”

Loki sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t sure when Thor was speaking truthfully or making up fanciful tales to keep Sigyn entertained, but he cared not either way. If it kept a smile on her face, it was worth it.

He was more interested in spending his time working with Sigyn’s reading and writing, and most nights they spent together working on those. He would dismiss Brynja for the evening and take on caring for his wife’s needs himself. It made him feel intimate with Sigyn since he couldn’t lay with her anymore. The rest of their nights would be spent with reading and writing lessons or showing off his magical prowess for her.

They always managed to fall asleep in one another’s arms, and felt as close as ever. Loki was confident that the rest of the pregnancy would not be a problem, and soon enough, he and Sigyn would be united with their sons. He couldn’t wait to meet them.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, the babies are born!

As Loki had reassured her, Sigyn’s confinement passed quickly. Friends visited her on a daily basis. Brynja came to be her closest confidante. Reading and writing lessons with Loki and making clothes for her sons, indeed kept her quite busy. She also grew rapidly, and to quite an alarmingly large size in Loki’s view.

“Are you sure there’s only two in there?” he asked Frigga one day. Frigga had taken over Sigyn’s care when she’d entered her confinement, claiming that it was important to have an experienced hand when it came to the more delicate and difficult cases.

“Yes, there are just the two,” Frigga said with a smile. “They just need a lot of space, that’s all.”

With Sigyn beginning her seventh month of pregnancy, she was even more uncomfortable with being bed-ridden. “It is awful, Loki,” she complained one night. “I have stared at the trees outside the window for so many days that I think I can tell you exactly how many leaves are on each one. And I wish to prepare the room the boys shall sleep in, but I cannot!”

“Would you like for me to do it?” Loki offered. “You can tell me exactly where you want things to be placed.” Their kin, friends, and well-wishers of the kingdom had begun showering them with gifts for their sons. They now had intricately-carved cradles, hobby-horses, and wooden swords, along with many other toys for the children to enjoy when they were older. There were also nappies and clothing enough to last well into their first year of life without needing to do any washing. “And do you not think they should stay right here for their first few months at least? You shall have to be up feeding them in the night so often…”

“I suppose the cradles and clothes ought to be set up in here,” Sigyn conceded after a moment’s thought. “But all of the toys can go into their room for when they’re older.”

Loki spent most of the evening moving items into their sleeping chamber, and then moving them around countless times as Sigyn changed her mind over where things should be placed. “Perhaps they should go on my side of the bed since I will be doing their feedings,” she said to Loki, referring to the cradles. He had already moved them around four times, and had no more energy to spare. He used a spell to lift and move them over to where she was pointing. He spent the rest of the night collapsed on the bed next to her, levitating things around the room until she was thoroughly satisfied.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around Loki that night as they went to sleep. “You are so attentive, my love,” she whispered before kissing his cheek. Loki leaned his head against her chest and closed his eyes. He fell asleep before he could even reply.

By the end of Sigyn’s seventh month, Frigga began to thoroughly explain the birthing process that would take place soon. Loki insisted on being present to hear about it. “I do not think you have much time left, my dear,” she said while placing her hands on Sigyn’s stomach. One baby’s foot pressed against her palm. “There simply isn’t any room left for them to grow.”

When Loki looked alarmed to hear this, Frigga waved him off. “You needn’t fear, my son,” she said reassuringly. “With my magic, they shall continue to grow just fine outside the womb. They will grow big and strong as boys should.” When he calmed down again, she frowned and continued to speak. “This is why men aren’t allowed in the birthing room. Men grow alarmed over the simplest things. They can slay dozens of men and lose limbs in war and go about stoically, but to see their wife in pain and distress sends them jumping about like mad things. It is simpler to have them out of the way. You’ll stay out in the dining halls with your father and brother where you belong.” Loki had already asked her if he could be present for the births. “The rituals must be done properly. You’ll mind your place or I’ll have Odin restrain you.”

“Mother, I will not make a fool of myself; you needn’t worry,” Loki said calmly.

“You’d best see that you don’t,” Frigga replied. “You’re going to see images from Sigyn’s mind and feel her pain, something most husbands aren’t privy to. I don’t want you running through the halls and interrupting our work. The magic I’ll be doing isn’t for your eyes. This is women’s magic.”

Loki sighed and held up his hands in surrender. “I will force myself not to join Sigyn’s mind while she labors,” he promised. “I shall be content to wait patiently, and calmly, like every other expectant father before me.” With that, he left the sleeping chambers, knowing that Frigga didn’t believe a word he said.

(SCENE)

Loki’s test arrived two weeks later. Sigyn was in their bed, with Brynja brushing her hair. Sif was paying a visit, telling of her latest competition in which she had bested four male warriors in a test of swords, when Sigyn felt warm liquid drench her thighs. She gasped, thinking she’d had an accident, and felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. “Oh!” she cried while hunching over in agony.

Sif and Brynja jumped up at the same time and looked at each other. “My lady, what has happened?” Brynja asked, kneeling down before her mistress.

“My water, is has broken, I think…” Sigyn gasped.

Sif paled and her eyes grew very wide. She inched towards the door. “I shall alert Frigga and Loki,” she said quietly before opening the door and running out.

Brynja helped Sigyn sit up and dressed her so they could leave the room. The birthing room was located in the healing rooms. Sigyn was very weak on her legs, for she had not stood in many months. Brynja supported her and helped her walk out of the room. Frigga was to meet them there with her apprentices she had chosen for the task.

Sigyn had never felt such pain before. She knew the Sjalsfrande had hurt very much, but she had no real memory of it. Her own mother had perished during this process, giving birth to her. The fear and weight of the situation hit her suddenly and the pain drove her into a panic. “Loki! I need my husband!” she cried while they walked slowly through the halls.

“My lady, Loki cannot be a part of this,” Brynja replied while trying to steer Sigyn towards the healing rooms.

They had made it halfway there when they heard loud footsteps approaching them. Loki appeared on Sigyn’s other side. He put his arm around her waist and helped her walk. “Oh Loki, you’re here,” she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

“I had to come,” he replied. “I couldn’t let you go through this alone…”

Another set of footsteps approached them. Sif ran up to Loki, looking very unhappy. “You are not supposed to do this,” she growled. “Frigga told me to keep you in the dining hall with the menfolk!” She crossed her arms and marched along with them. “She will be very cross to see you and will probably yell at you.”

“I care not!” Loki growled back, glaring at Sif. They made it to the healing rooms a few minutes later, and Frigga met them at the door to the birthing room.

“Loki! You are not allowed in here!” she cried in greeting.

“I tried to stop him, my lady, but he used his tricks…” Sif said apologetically.

“Loki, return to the dining hall with Sif at once,” Frigga commanded. “No tricks, no magic, just patience, as you promised. Say your farewells to your wife and be off with you.”

Loki had never known such anxiety before. He was helpless to do anything for Sigyn, and wasn’t even allowed to be present for the births of his own children. Unable to do anything else, he threw his arms around Sigyn’s shoulders and kissed her. “I love you so much,” he said into her mind. “You will be fine. My mother shall see to it.”

“I love you too, Loki,” was her response. They held onto each other until Sif grabbed Loki by the arm and pulled him away.

“Come on, let’s go find the Allfather and Thor,” Sif said as Loki reluctantly walked away with her. As they walked through the hallways towards the dining room, Loki sighed. He wanted to be with his wife.

Sif put her arm around Loki’s shoulders. “Fear not, Loki. All shall be well,” she said encouragingly. “We shall find your kin, and then we shall drink ale until the babies are born. It will be great fun.”

As they walked into the dining hall, Thor saw them and noticed how despondent Loki was. He hurried over to them. “What is wrong?” he asked.

“Sigyn’s birthing time has arrived and Loki is distraught,” Sif explained.

“What good news!” Thor cried, leaning down to hug his brother. “Let us drink and feast until your sons are presented to you.” He called Odin over to tell him the news.

Odin smiled and patted Loki’s arm. “The waiting will all be worth it in the end,” he reassured his son.

Thor’s friends joined them at the table, and soon the entire dining hall knew what was happening. Cheers erupted and serving girls began to fill tankards of ale for everyone.

Loki sat at a table with his kinsmen and listened to tales of fatherhood as the minutes slowly turned into hours. Volstagg regaled him with many stories of sleepless nights, childhood sicknesses, and fighting amongst siblings. “I will just advise you, young lad, if one of your wee ones says he feels like he’s going to be ill, do not pick him up…It will not end well for you…” he concluded at the end of his talk. It all left Loki feeling uncertain as to whether or not he was truly suited for the task, though it was too late now to do anything about it.

This would become the night Loki regarded as the longest in his short life.

(SCENE)

Frigga shut the door on her son’s face and turned to Sigyn with a reassuring smile on her face. “My dear, I know you are fearful now, but do not trouble yourself. You will be well cared for,” she said soothingly as she walked up to her. “First, let’s get you undressed so I can examine you.” She gestured to two of the attendants, who stepped forward and began to help Sigyn out of her clothes. Brynja folded her mistress’s clothes and looked to Frigga for direction.

“You have been Sigyn’s faithful servant these last few months. Will you stay and help?” Frigga asked.

“Yes, my lady,” Brynja replied.

“Help her onto the birthing stool so that I might examine her,” Frigga said.

Brynja placed a hand on Sigyn’s shoulder. “Come, my lady, sit down,” she said.

Sigyn, now fully unclothed, took a step towards the stool and doubled over in pain. She cried out in pain and her knees began to buckle. Brynja grabbed her tightly and kept her from falling over. Sigyn gasped for air and after a minute, the wave of pain dissipated.

“Your contractions are strong,” Frigga commented as she walked over to help Sigyn. “Let us hope the births are fast.” Once Sigyn was seated on the stool, Frigga stepped away and took time to pull her hair back into a knot. She also removed her dress and replaced it with a clean black gown reserved for her midwifery duties. An attendant cleansed her hands and arms for her before she returned to Sigyn. After kneeling down in front of her and placing her hands on the girl’s knees, she called over two attendants, and they came to stand on either side of Sigyn. “If you feel a contraction, they will hold onto you. Just concentrate on breathing.”

Frigga parted Sigyn’s legs and began her examination. Sigyn shut her eyes and tried to remain calm. She felt vulnerable and exposed before all the other women. She could feel Frigga touching her and it felt uncomfortable, yet was unable to do anything about it. It only lasted a few minutes before she was finished.

“You are coming along nicely, but only about halfway ready to begin pushing. Let us stand you up and help you pace the floor of the room. The movement will help you progress faster.”

Brynja insisted on helping Sigyn, and together, they walked arm-in-arm around the room, over and over again. Every once in a while, Sigyn would have a contraction, and an attendant would appear to help hold her upright through the pain.

One of the other attendants began to chant, words Sigyn did not understand, but she felt invigorated by them somehow. It gave her strength to keep pacing.

After an hour, Frigga examined her again. “Good progress, but not enough. Continue pacing.”

Another long hour was spent walking around the room, and Sigyn’s contractions became stronger and more frequent. One of the other attendants took over chanting to give the first one a respite.

Near the end of the hour, Sigyn had a contraction that was so strong and powerful, that in spite of Brynja and the attendant’s help, she still buckled under and collapsed to the floor. Frigga rushed over and helped her into a seated position. A quick examination showed that Sigyn had progressed far enough to begin pushing.

Attendants helped her into a kneeling position on the floor. One stood on either side and held onto a shoulder tightly. She leaned into them when a contraction started, crying out in pain. Frigga knelt before her and placed her hands on the girl’s chin, holding it up and looking into her eyes. “Sigyn, you are doing well. I want you to begin pushing when you feel your next contraction. Take a deep breath and work with the pain.”

Sigyn tried to remain calm, and when a contraction began a minute later, she took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could, leaning into the attendants as she did. Once it was over, Frigga checked for signs of progress. “It is a good start, but you have a long way to go, my dear,” she said calmly. “Continue to push with the contractions.”

It took nearly an hour of pushing before Frigga declared she could see the head crowning. Sigyn’s knees were in a lot of pain by now, so they brought the birthing stool to her and set her on it for the last part. Frigga guided the baby’s head gently as it emerged. “Very good, Sigyn, keep pushing!”

Sigyn gave one last great push, her entire body straining, a scream ripping out of her throat. She felt something pass between her legs and then relief as the pain subsided. She threw herself back with a gasp of breath and the attendants caught her, keeping her from toppling over.

The baby fell into Frigga’s ready hands. Frigga deftly produced a small dagger that she used to cut the cord connecting the child to his mother. When it was done, she smiled and stood up quickly, taking the infant over to the table to clean him up and make sure all was well.

Sigyn moaned and rocked back and forth. “I want to see him,” she murmured. “I want to see my son.”

“My lady, the child is blue!” One of the attendants cried while assisting Frigga.

“What? Is he all right?” Sigyn cried, trying to stand up, but she was restrained by her helpers.

“Nobody needs to panic,” Frigga said calmly. “He merely needs to pink up a little.” After quickly cleaning the baby off, and clearing out his mouth and nostrils, she held him up and slapped his backside gently. The baby began to scream and Sigyn thought it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. She relaxed a little. Frigga chanted spells over the infant’s body and swaddled him a moment later.

“I have given him protections from that which could harm him, and given him the strength to continue growing, even though he is no longer in the womb. Your son will be strong,” she declared.

Frigga left the baby on the table and turned to look at her daughter-in-law. “Do you feel signs of any more contractions?” When Sigyn shook her head, she continued. “Your second water has not yet broken. It could be some time before it does. I shall present the boy to Loki now. Then you will be able to see and feed the baby when I return.” She nodded to the attendants. “Help deliver the afterbirth, and begin to rub her back so the milk will drop. I shall return shortly.”

Sigyn hated this part. She wanted so badly to hold her child and begin to love him, but she couldn’t. Not until Loki fulfilled his part of the ritual. Custom dictated that a child be presented to his father for approval upon being born. If the father accepted him, he named the child, declaring him as his own, and the mother would be allowed to feed the baby. If the father rejected the child, it was left out in the elements to die of exposure, and the mother was never allowed to see him. It was said that it was easier for her to go on with life if she had never formed a bond with him. She knew of course that Loki wouldn’t reject their children, but the wait to see her child made her anxious nonetheless. The rubbing on her back felt good, though, comforting. She closed her eyes and waited.

(SCENE)

Loki stayed true to his word and did not glimpse into Sigyn’s mind during the next several hours. He was still privy to some of her pain, however. He could feel a couple of her stronger contractions, and had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. When Thor asked what was happening, Loki explained. “I hope I never experience Sjalsfrande,” was Thor’s response.

The pain passed, much to Loki’s relief, and he was able to rejoin the conversation. A short time later, the door to the dining hall was opened by a servant, and Frigga entered, bearing a small bundle in her arms. He looked over and his heart began to pound. He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. The entire hall grew quiet, until they could all hear the sound of her footsteps approaching her son’s table. Loki thought the footsteps sounded like his heartbeats.

Frigga stopped before Loki, and he stood up, looking at her. “There is only one,” he said, sounding panicked.

“The other is not quite ready yet, but you needn’t worry. That is common with twins,” Frigga replied. She smiled and held the bundle in her arms out to him. “Loki Odinson, I present to you, your wife’s son.”

Loki took the child and set him on the table. Frigga helped unwrap the baby’s swaddling, and Loki performed the customary inspection. The baby seemed impossibly small, and delicate. He had the bluest eyes, and Loki could make out Sigyn’s mouth, and his own nose. His heart swelled to look into his own son’s face finally. Tears prickled his eyes and he spoke into his son’s mind. “Which one are you?” he asked.

And a voice, one that he had heard countless times before now, answered back. “I am Nari,” he said.

Odin handed Loki a bowl of warmed water, and Loki sprinkled it over his son’s body. The water made the baby scream and Loki’s heart hurt to hear it. He wanted to scoop up the tiny child, hold him to his heart and tell him nothing would ever upset him again if he could help it. Frigga quickly produced dry wrappings and swaddled the baby once again. She placed him back in Loki’s arms.

As Loki held his son, he heard scraps of the boy’s thoughts. “Wet…cold…hungry…”

Loki turned to the crowd and held the bundle out to them all. “I present to you, Nari Lokison, my eldest!” he cried triumphantly.

Thor and Odin leaned in for a closer look as the crowd cheered and toasted Loki’s good fortune. “Look how small he is,” Thor said while reaching a hand out to pet the cheek of his newest kinsman. “He has hair as dark as yours.”

They all marveled over Nari for a couple minutes until his screams grew louder and more insistent. Loki turned to Frigga and placed Nari in her arms. “Please return my son to his mother. He needs feeding right away.”

Frigga nodded and quickly left the dining hall, to return to the healing room. Loki sat back on the bench and wondered at what had just taken place. He had a son! And soon he would have a second! “My dear girl,” he sent out a message to Sigyn’s mind, “you have done well so far this night. I most highly approve of my firstborn, but I anxiously await my second-born…”

“I am working on it, my love,” came her response a minute later. “He does not seem as eager to arrive as his brother was…” Sigyn entered his mind again several minutes later. “I wish for you to be present for this,” she said before he saw an image of what she was experiencing, as if seeing it through her eyes.

Frigga held Nari out to Sigyn, and she took him in her arms for the first time. He could feel Sigyn’s joyful tears as though they were falling onto his own cheeks. She petted her child and kissed him many times before Frigga assisted her with feeding him. Sigyn held him to her breast, and Frigga showed her how to guide her nipple into the boy’s mouth. Within seconds, Nari was tentatively suckling at his mother’s breast. “He will learn with time,” Loki said to her. “He is a good, strong boy.”

Nari ate for a long time before falling asleep in Sigyn’s arms. “Nari, my son, you must tell your brother to come out soon, before all the good milk is gone,” Loki whispered into his tiny child’s mind.

As if on cue, a minute later, Sigyn felt fluid gush down her legs, and a contraction began. Loki watched as Brynja took Nari in her arms and Sigyn stood up. “I shall leave you to your important work, my love,” he said before detaching his mind from hers. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long before his second son was born.

(SCENE)

Sigyn and her attendants began the long, painful task of pacing the room once again while the chanters droned on. It took several more hours of pacing before she was ready to push, and she was exhausted before it even began. In the middle of walking, Nari screamed again, demanding to be fed, so she walked, with Nari at her breast, and attendants held onto her, ready to catch either her or the baby, should they fall. But Sigyn found that she was stronger than she first thought and paced continuously, holding Nari all the while. She only handed him back when Frigga decided it might be time for laboring.

Frigga frowned upon examining her for the last time. “Your son is not only stubborn, but a troublemaker,” she declared before placing her hand on Sigyn’s belly. “He is turned the wrong way, and that simply will not do.” She whispered words that had no meaning to Sigyn, and a moment later, she felt a strange moving sensation inside herself.

“What did you do?” she gasped.

“I merely told him to turn around, and he did,” Frigga explained with a smile. “And now my dear, you and he are ready.”

Sigyn knelt down on the floor, once again flanked by her attendants. It took two hours of pushing before Frigga noticed any progress. “He is coming out at his own pace…”

Nari started to shriek once again, and tears streamed down Sigyn’s face, for she could do nothing to help him. Her labor pains were overwhelming, and with one final push, using every muscle she had, she pushed her second son out. Her screams joined Nari’s, until the pain subsided and Frigga cut the cord. Sigyn lay on the floor, panting and exhausted, as Frigga cleaned the other baby.

“He is blue too,” the attendant at Frigga’s side marveled. “But he’s pinking up already.”

A smaller wave of pain washed over Sigyn, and one of the attendants helped her to deliver the afterbirth. When it was over, she fell back to the floor again. It was done. Her sons were born. With a sigh, the world around her faded to black, and she knew no more.

(SCENE)

Loki was pacing the floor of the dining hall impatiently, nervously. What was taking so long? He would be able to sense if there were complications, but there had been none. His son was simply dawdling, that was all.

“What could be taking so long?” he asked Thor for the hundredth time that night, when the doors to the dining hall opened and once again, Frigga entered the room. The crowd hushed again as Loki acted out the acceptance ritual a second time.

Loki’s youngest son looked nothing like Nari. He had a tuft of wispy white blonde hair, like Sigyn’s, on top of his head. Only his blue eyes matched Nari’s. This child had Loki’s nose and mouth, but his mother’s cheekbones and chin. “I know who you are,” he whispered into the boy’s mind. “You are the one who completes our family.” He poured water gently over his son’s body and Frigga wrapped the baby up once again when it was done.

Loki took his son from her and held him out before the crowd. “I present to you, Vali Lokison, my second-born!” The crowd cheered and raised their tankards of ale in celebration.

“Where is Sigyn now?” Loki asked Frigga, while still holding tightly onto Vali.

“She was overwrought and could stay awake no longer. We bathed her, and now she sleeps in the healing ward with Nari at her side.”

Loki nodded his head. “I shall take Vali there myself,” he declared.

“Loki, this is not acceptable. This is women’s work,” Frigga protested.

“Mother, you might as well permit it, he’s going to do it anyway,” Thor commented while gazing down at Vali.

“Oh, very well,” Frigga said, sounding resigned to the idea. “But I shall go with you.”

Loki marched triumphantly out of the dining hall a minute later, proudly bearing his tiny boy in his arms. He walked all the way into the healing rooms and quickly found Sigyn in one of the beds. She was propped up with pillows, yet still asleep, and Nari was at her side.

Loki didn’t want to wake her, but knew Vali needed feeding. He opened Sigyn’s nightclothes and with Frigga’s assistance, got Vali to feed from Sigyn’s breast. When he had been satisfied, Loki set him down next to Nari. “I shall stay with them, mother,” he announced while unashamedly climbing into Sigyn’s bed and moving next to his sons. He wrapped an arm around Sigyn’s waist and settled down so his head was next to his sleeping sons.

Frigga shook her head in wonderment and turned to leave the room. “Mother…thank you…” Loki called out to her as she left.

“You are most welcome, my son,” she replied.

Loki closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Nari and Vali sleeping. Their shallow breathing created a rhythm that soothed him. He inhaled their freshly-washed and milk-fed scent, and memorized it as he drifted off to sleep. He smiled at the thought that at long last, his family had been reunited. He felt complete. He felt happy. It was all he needed, for now at least. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years after the twins are born, we catch a glimpse of a day in the life of Loki and Sigyn as parents.

Loki sat at a table in the dining hall next to Odin, during the midday meal. They were discussing the latest developments with Laufey’s warriors, when he was interrupted by a pair of young voices. “Far! Far!” He turned his head towards the voices and smiled as he watched his twin sons clumsily trip over themselves on their way over to him.

“Do not run so fast, my sons,” he called out as Nari fell to the floor and Vali stepped on him on his way over to the table.

“Vali! Do not step on your brother!” Sigyn cried out. She was hurrying behind them and bent down to scoop up Nari. “You could hurt him.”

Vali wasn’t listening and continued to run over to Loki. When he arrived, he grinned and hopped up and down. “I win!” he declared triumphantly.

Loki lifted Vali up onto the bench next to him. “You won, but you stepped on your brother to get here. Was that really a good thing to do?” Vali looked blankly at his father and shrugged his shoulders. “The answer is no, Vali. That was not a good thing to do,” Loki replied sternly. “You will apologize to your brother when he gets here.”

Sigyn and Nari arrived a moment later and she set the boy on Loki’s other side. The boys often quarreled over who got to sit next to their father, so their parents solved the issue by letting both of them sit by him. Sigyn also wished to sit next to her husband, but enjoyed peaceful meals more. “I want you boys to behave today,” she instructed while seating herself next to Odin. “It is a privilege to eat with the menfolk. Remember that.”

Vali leaned over and looked at Nari. “Sorry brother,” he said, holding his hand out to him.

Nari took his brother’s hand. “It’s all right,” he replied. He and Vali sat, holding hands, with Loki in between them.

Loki looked down and felt immense pride well up inside of himself to see his sons behaving so well and caring so much for one another. He leaned down and kissed the tops of their heads.

Sigyn put food onto plates for her sons, taking the time to cut their meat into small pieces for them. She also tore up pieces of bread and cut chunks of cheese into bites for them. “Do not eat too fast, or you will choke,” she instructed while handing the plates to her husband to distribute.

When she finished, she plated her own meal and sat back to enjoy it. “My dear, you look wonderful today,” Odin said after a minute. “The boys thrive and Loki remains happy. You are doing an excellent job with your family.”

“Thank you, Allfather,” Sigyn replied. “Some days have more challenges than others, but I love my boys and my husband so much. I would not trade this life for anything.”

“Motherhood suits you,” Odin agreed. “Just as fatherhood suits Loki.”

Sigyn smiled and looked over to watch Loki interacting with the boys. He helped them with their napkins and wiped their hands and faces as they ate. He had always been more involved than most Asgardian fathers tended to be, but he did not mind. “I think sometimes that they are missing out on things by not being involved,” he declared one day.

Sigyn’s life had changed so much in the three years since she and Loki had become parents. She hardly remembered life as it had been before the boys had been born. Her life was full and very busy, and she loved every moment of it.

She sensed Vali’s panic and turned to look at him a moment later, just in time to see Loki hit him on the back. Vali began to flail and panic and Loki quickly picked him up in one arm and continued to hit him on the back with the other. An eternity of seconds passed before a piece of food flew out of the boy’s mouth. “Take a deep breath, Vali,” Loki instructed as the boy began to wail.

“Mor!” Vali cried.

Sigyn jumped up and took Vali out of Loki’s arms. She rocked him and kissed his cheeks. “Mor is here, mor is here…” she whispered over and over into his ear while he clung to her and sobbed.

Loki frowned and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He sat down and placed his forehead in the palm of his hand and continued to breathe deeply. “He puts too much food in his mouth too quickly and does not swallow and then he chokes,” he growled.

“We will work on it,” Sigyn said quietly, reaching out with one hand to caress Loki’s cheek. “He’s still learning.” Her calm response belied the panic and terror she had felt just moments before. One thing she had quickly learned as a mother, was to never let her children see or sense her fear. It only upset them. She kissed Vali’s cheeks one last time before setting him back down on the bench. “I’ll put less food on his plate and will train him to eat more slowly.”

Loki hugged Vali to his side and kissed his cheek. “Do not scare your far like that ever again,” he commanded. Odin looked at them sympathetically before returning to his meal. The meal resumed with no further complications after that.

When the boys had finished and Sigyn was trying to get them ready to leave, Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three arrived and she knew that it would be impossible now to get them to leave the dining hall willingly. Both Nari and Vali were awestruck with their farbror and he seemed equally fond of them. “Well, how are my brorsons today?” Thor asked while sitting down across from them at the table.

Nari smiled at his farbror. “Vali choked on his food but far saved him,” he said.

Thor looked at Vali and frowned. “Are you well?” he asked, his face full of concern. Vali nodded. “Did anything else happen today?” Thor asked as Sigyn handed him a plate of food.

“Mor teached Vali not to step on me,” Nari answered.

“Oh, that is a very good thing to learn,” Thor said, nodding his head.

Nari turned in his seat and looked up at Sif. She was sitting next to him at the table. He smiled and scooted over to her, until he was leaning into her. She looked down at him and smiled. “Hello, little one,” she said with a wink. She reached down and petted his soft black hair for a moment. Nari grew shy and moved over to bury his face in Loki’s black leather tunic.

“I think somebody fancies you, Sif,” Fandral joked. “Perhaps you should speak to your father about a marriage contract…”

Sif hit Fandral on the arm. “I think not,” she replied. “Though if I had to choose between one of the babes and you, I’d choose one of them.”

Fandral rolled his eyes and began to put copious amounts of food on a plate for himself.

“Vali, Nari, did you show your parents what I taught you yesterday?” Thor asked with a grin. When the boys shook their heads, he looked at Loki and Sigyn. “I asked them if they knew what a Frost Giant sounds like and when they said no, I taught them.” He turned back to the children. “All right, what does a Frost Giant sound like?”

Both boys jumped down from the bench and walked over to their parents and Odin. They raised their hands up in claw-like gestures and wrinkled their noses. “Rawr!” they growled loudly. They roared and growled until half the dining hall could hear them.

Sigyn smiled, amused at how adorable her children were while Loki rolled his eyes at Thor. “Really brother?” he asked coolly.

Volstagg jumped up from the table and drew his sword. “I thought I heard two ferocious Frost Giants in here!” he cried. “I do not see them now; where did they go?” He looked down at the boys. “Did you see where they went?”

Nari and Vali began to giggle. “No, silly,” Vali cried. “It was us!”

“We did it!” Nari added.

“What? No! It was much too real to be you. I must have been real Frost Giants,” Volstagg said before putting his sword back in its scabbard.

“No, it was us!” Vali shrieked, laughing and looking over at Sigyn. “Mor, we tricked him!”

“You did, my clever boys,” Sigyn replied. “Volstagg isn’t easy to fool.”

“I think you two will grow up to be Frost Giant slayers,” Volstagg proclaimed. “Would you like that?”

“Yes!” Nari exclaimed. “I slay them all!”

“Me too!” Vali added.

“Well, you boys listen to your parents and be obedient and when you’re older, Odin will let you into his army. Right Odin?” Volstagg asked.

Odin leaned over and gazed at his grandchildren. “Of course,” he replied. “I already have plans for them.”

Sigyn stood up and placed her hands on her sons’ shoulders. “All right, my little soldiers, it is time for a nap,” she said. “Say goodbye to your far and let us leave him to his important work.”

Nari and Vali looked imploringly at Loki, giving him their best pathetic faces. “We wish to stay,” Nari said, frowning.

“Yes, we aren’t tired,” Vali said, tilting his head.

Loki shook his head. “You know that won’t work on me,” he replied. “Now, go with your mor, and that’s an end of it. I shall see you tonight at supper.”

“Aww,” Nari whined.

Vali began to sniffle and tears filled his eyes. He placed his thumb in his mouth and held his free arm up for Sigyn to take him. Sigyn bent down and picked him up. “All right, boys, let us go now,” she said again. “Nari, you follow behind mor.”

Loki turned to his brother and shook his head. “You taught them to growl like Frost Giants?”

Thor shrugged. “I had to do something, brother. They wished for me to dangle them by their ankles over the edge of the Bifrost so they might play that they were flying. I said that was right out. You should be proud of my restraint.”

Loki considered this before nodding. “You are learning. At least you no longer use the boys to garner the attention of maidens to show what a good potential father you might be one day.”

Thor nodded his head. “Not after that time Sigyn yelled at me. She can be quite firm when she wants to be.”

A short time later, the conversation returned to war and strategy, and the rest of Loki’s day flew by.

(SCENE)

Sigyn sang lullabies to her sons until they fell asleep and then left their room to join Brynja in the main living room. They sat together, working on spinning wool and mending clothes and discussing the latest gossip of the palace. Sigyn didn’t have much time to talk with other women, and cherished Nari and Vali’s naptime as her one time each day to do so.

“Well, I do hope Canute accepts the babe when it’s born, even if he does have a wife and three other children. I hate to think of a child dying of exposure,” Sigyn said with a shiver.

“He may, if it’s a boy,” Brynja replied. “He has only daughters now…”

Sigyn shook her head. “That should not matter. The child is his, and it deserves to live, regardless of its sex. It could be adopted or fostered. Or he could take Haldis as a second wife and raise the child legitimately. Anything but leaving it to die…”

“You know how rarely that actually happens. I’m sure it will all work out…”

Sigyn nodded in agreement and they went about their tasks in thoughtful silence after that.

The boys woke up a couple hours later, ready for a long afternoon of playing and stories. Sigyn kept them entertained until Loki returned home for the night. As soon as he got inside, Nari and Vali ran over to Loki and attached themselves to his legs. They babbled and called out to him and laughed when he tried to take a step. They wouldn’t let go.

“Far can’t move!”

“Mor, come look!”

“Sigyn, will you please control your children?” Loki called out in exasperation.

Sigyn rushed to the door and saw her husband struggling not to fall over and began to laugh. “Oh Loki, the boys are so adorable,” she said before leaning down and untangling them from his legs. “They love you so much.”

Once Loki had gotten settled and Sigyn had brought him a draught of ale to drink, he sat on the floor of the living room and began to play with Nari and Vali. This was his favorite part of the day. All his worries about war and Odin’s plans to name Thor as his heir melted away and he knew only the joy of playing with his children.

Each of his sons was so different from the other. Nari, the firstborn, was the protector and lookout. He was fearless and took after his farbror Thor. He didn’t care about consequences or punishments. He lived in the moment and enjoyed all the excitement that life had to offer. Vali, the second-born, was cautious and reluctant to try new things. He was often fearful of what he was unsure of. He tried to be brave, but often left such matters to Nari. Loki knew most fathers would be ashamed to have such a sensitive boy like Vali, but he wasn’t most fathers. Vali reminded Loki of himself as a child and loved him all the more because of it. He would never use fear or physical punishment to try and manifest “strength” or “bravery” in him. In Vali, he saw the ability to pass on his magic. It was Vali who would be his heir one day. Nari would be a warrior, like Thor. It was what he was best suited for, and Loki loved him just as much, but differently at the same time.

Sigyn busied herself with setting the table for supper while her husband played with the children. She had started having the servants prepare their food after the twins had been born, but she still insisted on serving her family at supper.

Loki looked up from the floor at her as she set the table. “I didn’t get a chance at the midday meal to tell you, but Thor’s coming for supper tonight,” he called out to her.

“Very well, I shall set a place for him,” she replied with a smile. She knew Loki kept Thor close to him in hopes of influencing him, but she also thought it was good for the brothers to spend time together. Her sons loved Thor and he loved spending time with them as well.

Thor arrived just as Sigyn was setting the food out. He brought ale and bread to share and sat at his customary place at the table, next to Nari and across from Sigyn.

The family feasted and talked for a long time that evening. Sigyn worked with Vali to eat more slowly and swallow his food before taking more bites. “Watch how far and your farbror eat. They do not take big bites and never swallow. See how far chews his food and swallows? This is how to eat properly,” she explained.

Thor, who normally ate so quickly he hardly seemed to chew at all, slowed down and ate very deliberately in order to set a good example. “Chewing and swallowing is very important if you wish to be a warrior one day,” he said with a smile as Vali took a slow, small bite of his supper.

When the meal ended, Sigyn cleared off the table while Loki and Thor left with the boys to speak in the living room. Loki wanted to talk about important strategy matters, but Thor ended up on the floor playing with Nari and Vali. They had a set of wooden blocks to play with and Thor helped them build a tall tower before Nari knocked it over with a gleeful cackle.

“Nari! You wrecked it!” Vali cried before throwing one of the blocks and hitting Nari’s cheek.

Nari burst into tears and clutched at his cheek. “Mor! Vali hit me!” he wailed while running over to Sigyn and holding his arms out to be picked up.

“Why did Vali hit you?” she asked while rocking Nari in her arms.

“I don’t know!” Nari cried. He screamed and cried for several minutes, but Sigyn could tell it was mostly for show. She kissed his cheeks several times and rocked him while he cried.

Loki scolded Vali and took the blocks away for the night. “You two boys have to learn to get along when you play together,” he admonished.

“I think it’s time for the boys to go to bed,” Sigyn declared once Nari had calmed down.

“I shall tell them a story!” Thor replied before jumping up and taking Vali’s hand in his. “Come, let us prepare for bed and I shall tell you a story.”

Nari wriggled out of Sigyn’s arms and chased after Thor and Vali. “Wait for me!”

Loki sighed and rubbed his temples before standing up and walking over to his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, not so gently. “Let us hope the boys fall asleep quickly and my brother does not stay too long,” he whispered in her ear.

Sigyn grinned and nodded in agreement. Long gone were the days where she and Loki could make love wherever and whenever they wanted. Their couplings were far more clandestine and infrequent than they would prefer, so when the opportunity arose they usually jumped at the chance.

Loki was reading a book by the hearth while Sigyn tidied up the room when they heard Thor’s low growl coming from the boys’ room, followed by two youthful screams a moment later. Sigyn rolled her eyes. “Loki, you must speak to your brother. He scares the boys with his stories. He must tell them happier tales before bed,” she said to her husband.

“They seem to enjoy the stories well enough,” Loki commented. “See?” The sound of the boys’ laughter could now be heard coming from their room. He liked to hear the happy sounds his children made; it made up for the screaming and crying at other times.

A couple minutes later, Thor emerged from the room, with a smile on his face. “I think they’ll sleep well now,” he declared before joining Loki by the fire.

“Thank you brother,” Loki replied. He tried to think of a polite way to ask his brother to leave, but couldn’t think of anything. The three young adults sat in silence for a few minutes.

Sigyn sighed, walked over to Thor, and draped her arm around his shoulders. “Thor, I thank you for your visit tonight. You are a wonder with the boys and they love you terribly,” she said before leaning down and kissing his cheek.

“They are the best brorsons a man could ask for,” Thor replied with a grin.

“Please do not take this the wrong way, Thor,” Sigyn continued, with a smile of her own. “But go home. I have some very urgent matters to deal with that I need Loki’s complete attention for…”

Thor looked back and forth at Loki and Sigyn for a moment before laughing. “Oh, I see…Very _urgent_ , no doubt,” he replied. He stood up and winked at them. “I shall leave you two to your most urgent…business. And perhaps I shall stop by the dining hall and inform Sif and the Warriors Three that I may gain another brorson in a short time…”

“Well, you never know, you might gain a brorsdottir, wouldn’t you like that too?” Sigyn asked as she walked him to the door.

“I should like that very much. She would be the first female born into our family in more than five generations. She would be treated as the highest ranking woman in Asgard, after our mother of course,” Thor replied.

“Well then, you’d best let us get to work on it,” Sigyn replied before Thor took his leave. When he was gone, she shut the door and turned to look hungrily at Loki.

Loki stood up and furrowed his brow. “Another child, Sigyn?” he asked cautiously. “Are you sure you want this?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his eyes. “Why not? The boys have been weaned for over a year and most women have babies two years apart. I feel ready for another.”

“But all those sleepless nights and changing diapers all day long. Having to feed the boys until you thought you’d lose your mind and your breasts would fall off. Do you not remember the insanity involved in our first several months as parents?”

“We wouldn’t have twins this time, I’m sure, and it was all worth it in the end, was it not?” She kissed Loki for a minute before speaking again. “I miss the feeling of your seed growing within me, my love. I miss the sounds of a baby when he’s being fed and the smell of a baby after he’s been washed. I miss the feel of holding one in my arms. I miss teaching him to walk and watching with joy as he toddles over to me for the first time without falling down. I wish to bear many more of your children and experience all of that over and over again.”

Loki held Sigyn for a moment, taking all of it in. “Can we even conceive if we haven’t created a new soul? With Sjalsfrande, perhaps it is different.”

“Well, we shall never know unless we try,” Sigyn replied before taking his hand and leading him into their sleeping chamber.

Loki found that instead of feeling turned off at the idea of trying to conceive another child with his wife, he was aroused even more than he normally was. He never ceased to find himself enormously attracted to Sigyn, and tonight was no exception. He spent over two hours that evening making love to her before feeling sated. Based on Sigyn’s reactions and what he felt of her pleasure, he could tell that she felt the same way.

“Oh, my love,” she gasped afterwards as she tried to catch her breath. “Oh, my love…That was exquisite.”

Loki smiled and kissed her. “It was indeed,” he agreed before taking a deep breath and rolling onto his back to relax.

Sigyn propped herself up on an elbow and ran her fingers over his bare, sinewy chest. He had coarse, dark hair beginning to sprout as his body continued to develop. She loved to run her fingers through it, and it made him feel terribly masculine when she did. Even though he had been considered a man-grown since the time they had wedded, he was not yet fully grown in stature. He had grown up several inches in height and was now more muscular than he’d been at the time of their wedding. “Did I ever tell you how much I love your body?” she murmured before leaning down to kiss his stomach. “I love every bit of it. It is a work of art.”

Loki grinned. “Yours is equally lovely to gaze upon, and even more wonderful to touch,” he said as he reached out a hand to caress her arm.

They kissed and murmured loving words to one another for a while before settling in to bed. Sigyn had mastered reading and writing, and Loki had begun to train her in magic. She sat in their bed reading one of his magic books as he went over strategy notes. They were about to put out the light when there was a small knock on the chamber door. “Mor! Far! Vali had a bad dream,” Nari called out from the other side of the door.

“Go back to sleep, boys,” Loki called back to them.

“Far! Frost Giants get me!” Vali wailed.

“Vali saw a Frost Giant in the closet!”Nari explained.

Loki sighed and looked over at Sigyn. “I suppose we must make ourselves decent,” he said sadly before standing up and putting on his nightclothes. He waited until Sigyn was fully clothed before opening the chamber door. Nari and Vali stood hand-in-hand in front of the door. Vali was sniffling and even Nari looked concerned as well.

“He said there was one under my bed too,” Nari continued.

“Big ones!” Vali cried.

Loki leaned down, picked up both of his sons, and carried them over to the bed. “There are no Frost Giants in Asgard. You two are very safe,” he said before kissing each of them on the cheek. “Far and mor are here and will always protect you.”

Nari walked across the bed until he was next to Sigyn. He slipped into the bed sheets and cuddled up against her.

“Nari, no, you must return to your own bed,” Loki said as Vali slipped out of his arms and joined his brother. “Vali, come, you must…” He sighed and looked at Sigyn. “I shall speak to my brother tomorrow about his choice of bedtime stories.” He walked over to his side of the bed and got in as well. “All right, you two may stay here for tonight only. Tomorrow I shall perform a thorough search for Frost Giants in your room and you will be safe to sleep there again.”

“Thank you, far,” Nari replied as he snuggled against his mother’s warm body.

“I love you, far,” Vali said as he settled in against Loki’s arm. He slipped his thumb into his mouth as he always did when he was anxious.

Loki frowned thoughtfully. “Vali, we must break you of this habit,” he said gently before reaching over to pluck his son’s thumb out of his mouth. “How about you hold my hand tonight instead? It shall give you all the courage you need.”

Vali looked concerned, but said nothing. Instead, he clung tightly to Loki’s hand and leaned in against him. “I love you, far,” he said again before closing his eyes.

Loki looked at his sons and over towards Sigyn, and was momentarily overwhelmed with emotion. These were moments where his love for his family was so strong it almost physically hurt him. Was this how it was for all parents and their children? Or was it stronger because their souls were all entwined? Would a child conceived outside of Sjalsfrande fit in with the family he already had? There were so many thoughts in his head swirling around as he drifted off to sleep that night. His last thought was of how he never wanted this to ever change.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki makes preparations as Thor's coronation day approaches. In a sudden turn of events, Thor ends up banished from Asgard and Loki's life is turned upside down...

Loki’s life was wonderful. He loved his family and found strength in them. But outside of his family life, things were not quite as wonderful. He had been present on the day Odin had handed down Mjolnir to Thor and named him as the official heir to the throne. It had been one of the most terrible moments of Loki’s young life. Thor had crowed mercilessly and put on airs for months afterwards. His teasing and bullying had grown far worse than ever now that he had nothing to hold him back. He hurt others with impunity and Loki hated to see what he was becoming. Thor was not fit to rule a kingdom, and Odin did not or could not see that. It truly terrified Loki to think that one day his brother would be the ruler over his and his family’s lives. Odin was bad enough, but Thor would be many times worse.

As months passed after Thor had been named the heir, Loki had devoted any spare time he had to plotting out how to get rid of his brother. He convinced himself that it was for the good of Asgard. He spent more time outside of his home researching and thinking of ideas. He knew Sigyn would be able to see his thoughts in her mind, but was also confident in her loyalty to him. She would not be a person he needed to be concerned about. But he could also feel from her own thoughts that she didn’t approve. They quarreled more than usual because of it.

“The boys wish to spend time with their father!” Sigyn cried one night in their sleeping chambers.

Loki had come home well past midnight and had not spent time with his children for two days prior. “I am doing this for them!” he yelled. “With my brother removed as a threat, I shall become king and the line of succession will go through us. Vali will become king after me. And then his son, and his son. This is the right thing to do.”

Sigyn was not interested in who would become the next king of Asgard. She was more concerned in domestic issues close to her heart. She had yet to conceive another child as she wished to so badly, and Loki was often too exhausted when he finally returned home at night to make love to her. She wanted nothing more than to bear another of his children, and hated that it hadn’t happened yet. Her boys were nearly four years old now, and it was a great humiliation to her that she was not yet with child. Part of her also hoped that if she became pregnant, it might help Loki see what was truly important in life and abandon his plans.

“The boys do not care about the throne! They care that their father is absent from their lives!”

“This is only for a short time,” growled Loki. “Then all will be as it was. I shall return to our normal life. You know I love my sons. I would lay down my life for them in a second!”

Sigyn sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Why do we not make love, my husband? It shall help you to relax,” she said imploringly.

Loki sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I am sorry this is so difficult for our family,” he murmured.

“Loki, have you thought that what you wish to do is treason?” Sigyn asked, shaking with fear. “I keep silent because I am your wife and I must, but I am scared of what might happen to us…”

“Nothing will happen,” Loki said quietly. “Nobody can see what a terrible ruler Thor will be, and it is my duty to protect the realm from him. Do you not see that?”

“I do see that Thor has much to learn before he is ready to rule,” Sigyn admitted. “But it is still going against the Allfather’s wishes. If he finds out, you could be imprisoned or killed and I and the children could be exiled. Or perhaps killed too…”

Loki frowned and shook his head. “Odin would never hurt you or the children. He loves them too much.”

“Oh Loki, I am just so scared,” Sigyn whispered before bursting into tears. “And besides, I love Thor as a brother and I do not wish to see him come to harm. I know that displeases you, but I cannot help how I feel!”

Loki kissed Sigyn and made love to her that evening in hopes of quelling her fears and comforting her. If she became with child, it would provide a much welcomed distraction to her. He did his best to shield her mind from his thoughts and plans after that.

(SCENE)

Loki had worked tirelessly to make the contacts he needed and had come up with a plan he thought would succeed in keeping Thor from being able to take the throne. When no word came of when Odin intended to step down, he allowed himself to relax again, and happily returned to his family life. His plan was set, and only needed to be set in motion just prior to Thor’s coronation.

Loki told Sigyn nothing of how he managed to make to contact with Hela, who had been only too willing to allow him to use her secret pathways to gain entrance to Jotenheim without Heimdall’s notice. He told Sigyn nothing of his close dealings with the Jotuns. He kept all of these things to himself, and felt terribly proud of what he had managed to plot on his own.

Sigyn also shuttered her mind to Loki’s plotting. She wished to know as little as possible and threw herself into her family duties to keep her mind off of it. The boys remained clueless to all of their parents’ troubles, and grew and thrived the way young boys should.

When they turned five, Sigyn began their schooling. Vali did much better with learning his letters and sums, and she had to work much harder with Nari to get him to understand what everything meant. Nari always wrote his letters backwards and it took many hours working with him to get it right. He always felt proud of himself when he spelled the words correctly and Sigyn was prideful as well that she could get through to him.

Nari excelled in weapons training and horsemanship. Thor and his friends shared the task of training the boys. Volstagg shared his knowledge of axes, Sif taught swordsmanship, Fandral helped with horse training, and Hogun worked on physical aptitude and stamina. Vali did better with the tasks that required large amounts of patience and concentration, but preferred the letters and sums Sigyn taught. Nari showed a prowess for all weapons, and as a result, Odin bestowed upon him a sax that had been given to him by his father as a child. The sax was big enough on Nari to act as a full-sized sword. It was his proudest moment when Odin Allfather presented it to him at practice one day in front of all the other students.

Every night, Loki would return home and revel in stories of his sons’ education. “I want both of you to learn as much as you can,” he said. “I shall oversee your magical training myself one day.”

The boys were excited at the prospect of receiving an education from their own father. “Really, far? Oh my…” Vali said breathlessly.

Vali had always been the likeliest candidate to excel in magic, and Loki wanted to be the one in charge of his education. “Yes, Vali, I think you shall do very well with magic,” he reassured his son. “Keep doing well in your other studies and you will be all the better for it.”

When the time finally arrived several months later for Odin to announce that he would step down and Thor would be named King of Asgard, Loki’s stomach dropped. He had no choice but to see his plan through.

The coronation was to be in a month’s time and he immediately went about setting all the wheels of his plans in motion. The night before the coronation, Loki clung tightly to Sigyn and made love to her. He took great comfort from her pleasures and her gentleness afterwards. It was moments like this that he realized how much strength he drew from her. Sigyn might be his wife, and considered to be the weaker sex, but she had always been what kept him steady and stable. “Everything I am is because of you. I love you so much, my wife. Remember that,” he whispered to her late that night.

He gazed into her eyes, recalling that it was how they had first experienced Sjalsfrande. Perhaps it would happen again. Her soft brown eyes pierced clear into his soul, and he was laid bare before her. All his thoughts and plans, spilled out into her mind before he could stop it. “Please forgive me,” he murmured when he saw the look of terror on her face.

Sigyn sobbed long into the night and fell into an uneasy sleep once Loki wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “Always,” she whispered back to him, when their minds met in their sleep. They shared a dream of the future in which Loki sat on the throne of Asgard, and Sigyn was seated next to him. The throne room was filled with many happy children born to them over the years.

The next day dawned and Sigyn tried to think of ways to get out of attending the coronation, but Loki insisted she and the boys attend, claiming it would appear suspicious afterwards if they hadn’t been there. Sigyn dressed in her finest dress and pinned her hair back. She wore a delicate crown of gold filigree about her temple, as was expected of one in her station. Loki dressed in his finest black and green tunic, and wore atop his head a golden horned helmet. Sigyn had seen him wear it only a few times before and found it to a commanding, imposing look for him. The boys dressed in their best clothes as well and as a family, they set off to attend Thor’s coronation.

There was great fanfare involved with the coronation. Odin’s throne room now had a red carpet running the length of it. Trumpeters blasted music for all to hear and the crowd of excited revelers threw flower petals into the air in celebration.

Thor slowly walked down the aisle, a helmet with bird’s wings atop his head. He winked and waved at people and held Mjolnir aloft as he walked. He smiled at all the maidens and appeared to enjoy every moment as he made his way to Odin at the foot of the throne. Loki stood with Frigga at the front, near Odin, as did Sif and the Warriors Three, as Thor’s closest friends.

When Thor finally arrived, he knelt down before Odin, and the ritual began. Loki’s heart pounded as the ceremony unfolded. He had timed everything perfectly. Even a few seconds delay could mean disaster for him.

As the ceremony came closer and closer to its conclusion, he forced himself to stay calm and kept his breathing controlled. Just before the final moment, however, Odin paused. All eyes were on him as he whispered, “Frost Giants!” and rushed down off the platform and through the room towards the door. Loki took a deep breath, feeling relieved and turned to rush after Odin, and now Thor, who hurried out of the room. Loki was careful not to look at Sigyn or his sons as he left.

Sigyn tried to stay calm as well as the ceremony unfolded. She held tightly to Nari and Vali’s hands, and for the first time in her life, hated Loki. She hated that he was doing this and hated that he was going to cause Vali so much fear. He had always been terrified of Frost Giants, but had learned to keep his fears to himself. Now his worst nightmare was coming true and he might be forever fearful, even in his own home.

She didn’t care that this might make the realm safer in the end. That was Loki’s business. She cared for her sons’ fears and lives. That was her business. When Vali began to grow panicked upon hearing Odin’s pronouncement and seeing his father rush off to assist, she quickly led her children back to their chambers.

“But mor, I should go help far!” Nari cried excitedly, pulling against her hand as she guided her sons back home.

“No Nari! You will stay here,” Sigyn said harshly when they arrived.

“But mor, I could help…” Nari said, looking crestfallen.

Sigyn sighed and looked at the floor. “I need you to stay here, Nari. When Loki is absent, you are the man and I need you to protect our family.”

Nari unsheathed the sax he always wore at his side. “It shall be my honor, mor,” he replied solemnly before turning to stand sentinel at the closed front door. “If any Frost Giants try to get past me, I shall slay them or die trying.”

Sigyn sat down on a bench and held Vali closely to her. It would be hours before she heard from Loki again. “Come Vali, let us study our magic together,” she finally suggested after a while.

“Yes, mor,” he said bravely. Together they worked on their spells, as the hours passed slowly.

Word arrived later in the afternoon from Brynja, that Frost Giants had been spotted in the deep underground rooms of the palace, but had been killed and there was no further threat. Sigyn gave a sigh of relief, as did Vali. Nari was disappointed and kicked at a chair leg. “I wanted to help,” he sulked before returning his sax to its sheath.

“You were a great help to us today, my son,” Sigyn replied, “My brave little warrior…”

Loki made no attempt to contact her mind as the day passed. She didn’t know what was happening until after supper when the boys were contentedly looking at picture books, when a flash of his thoughts entered her mind. She could see a scene unfolding, as if it was from her own eyes. Loki’s arm had been grabbed by a Frost Giant, but he felt no pain. His arm had turned blue when he’d been grabbed, but there was no freezing sensation. Loki looked around and Sigyn could see that he was in a dark, frost and snow-covered place. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three all fought Frost Giants. They had travelled to Jotunheim! Sigyn tried to remain calm as she watched her husband battling Frost Giants. His mind closed off from hers a few moments later, and she knew no more until another servant returned that night and told her the latest rumor that Odin himself had travelled to Jotenheim to rescue Thor, Loki, and their friends. All of this had led to Odin banishing Thor from the realm and throwing Mjolnir out into the abyss in a fit of rage. Loki was now poised to become the heir unless Thor managed to find his way back into Odin’s good graces.

“What a turn of events!” Brynja exclaimed after Sigyn had put the boys to bed and they sat knitting together. “On the very day Thor was to become king, he ended up banished…I cannot believe it.”

“Nor can I, Brynja,” Sigyn replied honestly. She truthfully did not know that would happen, which meant, neither had Loki. Apparently, things had turned out better than he had anticipated…

Sigyn went to sleep alone that night but she was awoken in the early hours the next morning when Loki arrived. He kissed her passionately and his excitement over his triumph made him quite amorous. “Now, my wife, when my luck is running strong, perhaps we shall at long last conceive a child,” he said before joining her in their bed.

When they had finished making love, Sigyn sat up in the bed. “You _will_ tell me what happened,” she demanded firmly. Loki collapsed onto the bed next to her, and sighed before talking for over an hour about the day’s events. She lay down next to him and pressed herself to him to stay warm. She felt cold as he told her about Jotenheim and the battle with the Frost Giants. “What happened to your arm?” she asked quietly, running her fingertips across the part that had turned blue.

“In truth, I know not,” Loki replied, shaking his head and furrowing his brow. He was trying to figure out what it meant, but deep down, he knew that whatever it was wasn’t a good thing.

(SCENE)

As days passed after Thor’s banishment, Loki worried about what had happened to his arm in Jotenheim. Odin seemed to avoid him more than usual, and he felt as though he was going mad. Volstagg had been touched by the Frost Giants in the same way and was still in the healing rooms recovering. So why hadn’t Loki been affected?

Loki did his best to continue shielding Sigyn from his mind, but she was there, unable to be blocked out from the worst moment of his life. He had finally been driven to return to where the Frost Giants had broken into the palace, and examined the Casket of Ancient Winters. When he held it in his hands, he saw his fingers turn blue. The blue traveled into his hands and up through his arms. Sigyn saw through his eyes as the blue spread across his entire body. She began to shake from the icy cold that filled his body; she felt it in hers as well. “Loki, what is happening?” she called out to him.

“I do not know,” came his shaky reply. Suddenly, Odin called out to him and Loki turned to look at him. Sigyn witnessed, through him, the scene that unfolded. As she felt his terror and pain and anger over finding out his terrible truth, she felt ill. She made it to the washing room just in time to be sick. Loki’s entire existence was a lie. He would never be allowed to take the throne, and Odin had never intended for it to happen.

Sigyn tried to comprehend what it all meant. She was married to a Frost Giant, and had born him two half Frost Giant sons…But he was still who he had always been, and was her Sjalsfrande. Whatever his true heritage was had always been, they had just not known before now. But what about her children? How would she tell them? Or would she cover it up for them just as Odin and Frigga had for Loki?

And then she watched as Odin collapsed at Loki’s feet and felt her husband panic. What was happening now? He summoned guards and rushed after them to the healing rooms. Loki’s mind cut off from hers at that time and she was unable to find out anything else until he returned home later that night.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him tightly as he sobbed inconsolably. At one point, he collapsed to his knees and knelt before her. “Why is this happening?” he asked imploringly.

She wrapped her arms around him again and he buried his face in her dress. “I do not know,” she replied. “I do not know.”

When he had finally calmed down enough to speak, Sigyn let go of him and he stood up before her. She reached up and wiped away the tears from his cheeks. “Show me,” she whispered.

Loki sighed and looked around helplessly. “I don’t want to,” he whispered back.

“Show me.”

Loki sighed again and concentrated on his Jotun form. Within seconds, he was completely transformed. Sigyn gasped and jumped back from him. He looked nearly the same, but his eyes were red and his skin was a deep shade of blue. There were also lines that followed the contours of his face that she had never seen before in his normal appearance. She could see the pain in his eyes as she stood away from him, her mouth agape. “Does it hurt?” she asked.

Loki shook his head. “There’s no pain, but I wish to die just the same,” he said in a choked voice. Sigyn stepped towards him and reached her hand out to touch his hand. He drew back just before she touched him. “No!” he cried. “It will burn you.”

Sigyn stopped and tears filled her eyes. She hated the thought of being unable to touch her own husband. Her mind raced for a moment before running to her closet and rummaging around for her cold-weather clothing. After finding her leather gloves and slipping them on, she ran back to her husband and tried again to touch him. This time he didn’t object. She placed one of her hands on his arm, and another against his chest. His skin was freezing, and she could feel it permeating the gloves, though not to a degree that it damaged her own skin. “Oh Loki,” she murmured.

“Am I hideous?” he whispered.

“Not at all,” Sigyn replied, shaking her head. “My Sjalsfrande, you would never be hideous in my eyes. It is just different, that is all. I have never seen a Frost Giant in person before. All the stories we heard as children…Perhaps they were exaggerations?”

“They are ruthless,” Loki replied. He frowned and looked away from Sigyn. “It turns out that I am already a prince. I am not Loki Odinson. I am Loki Laufeyson. His _bastard_ no less…”

“A prince…” Sigyn furrowed her brow and sat down on the bed. “Loki…what are we going to tell the children? They are half Frost Giants themselves.” Something was bothering her about that, but she couldn’t think what it was. An old memory, long forgotten, fluttered to the surface of her mind. Suddenly, she gasped. “They were blue!” she cried.

“What?” Loki was startled at her outburst and lost his concentration. He returned to his usual pale skin tone and eye color and sat down next to her.

“When the children were born, one of the attendants noted that each of the boys was blue at first,” Sigyn explained slowly as she thought about it. “Frigga said not to be alarmed and that they needed to breathe and pink up. Then she said some spells that she claimed were to keep them from harm from being born too early…I wonder now if one of the spells was meant to turn their skin to be like ours…”

Loki folded his arms and sat in silence. He knew Frigga had been at least forced to keep his secret, but could she really have been complicit in doing such a thing to her own grandchildren? It seemed too terrible to be true. “It cannot be,” he concluded. “Frigga could never…”

“She already hid so much from you,” Sigyn replied heatedly, “whether or not it was at Odin’s insistence is irrelevant.” She folded her arms to match her husband’s. “I shall speak to her tomorrow about this.” She threw her arms around Loki’s shoulders and hugged him fiercely. “I do not look at you any differently, my love. I know you are a good man and that is all that matters.”

Loki hugged her tightly, taking comfort from her love. “Do not speak to Frigga of this,” he murmured. “I shall speak to her myself.” He was too exhausted to say anything more, so they climbed into their bed. Sigyn held him tightly, and he pressed his head against her chest, listening to the sound of her steady heartbeat. He knew he was loved by her, but just couldn’t understand anymore, why.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn's lives continue to crumble as Loki grows darker and more desperate. Sigyn is left behind to pick up the pieces of their lives.

The next morning, Loki was summoned to the healing rooms by Frigga. There had been no changes in Odin’s status since the night before. The “Odin Sleep” had taken a firm hold of him and there was no sign of it abating any time soon.

“My son, with Thor banished and your father incapacitated, the throne of Asgard now falls to you,” she explained while gesturing to a guard. The guard stepped forward and presented Loki with Gungnir, Odin’s scepter, and bowed deeply to him.

Loki took the spear and looked wide-eyed at Frigga. “You are king now,” she said calmly.

“Will you leave my mother and me in privacy?” he called out to the healers and guards. “I would speak to her alone.” When the room cleared out, he sat down across from Frigga. She was seated at her husband’s bedside. He took a deep breath before saying anything. “Who else knows of my true identity?” he asked coldly.

Frigga looked down at her hands and sighed. “Only Odin and myself. I performed the spell that permanently rendered your skin to our tone,” she confessed. “Even your brother does not know.”

“The same spell you used on my sons, no doubt,” Loki guessed. “Did you truly wish to deliver them for Sigyn, or did you help only so you could cover up the truth for another generation?” He frowned and shook his head at her. “My children, Frigga…my _sons_! I have passed this on to them!” He was shouting now, his control slipping in his rage.

“Loki, that’s not fair,” Frigga replied. “I love your sons with all of my heart and I did not wish any harm to befall them. Your father had plans for your life and I could not disobey his wishes. You know this.” She held her hands out to him imploringly. “Your sons are just fine, Loki. You needn’t fret about them.”

“I have always felt so apart from this family, and now I truly understand why. I am not one of you, or even one of your kind. I am not of this realm. I do not know why Odin would be so cruel. He would have been better off to have left me to die of exposure…” A pained expression consumed his face as he spoke.

Tears filled Frigga’s eyes and she furrowed her brow. She stood up and walked around the bed to embrace her son comfortingly. “Please, Loki…” she whispered.

“Oh yes, I mustn’t hurt your feelings, mother,” he replied while gripping Gungnir tightly in his hands. Suddenly, he stood up and threw Frigga’s arms off of him. “Away with you, woman! I am finished here.” He began to walk towards the door to leave. “I have a realm to rule…”

As he walked into the throne room and took his place as the king of Asgard, he felt nothing but rage. What should have been the most joyous and celebratory moment of his life had been sullied. It was one more reason he would never be able to forgive Odin for what he had done.

Loki sat and brooded on the throne, and comforted himself by thinking of ways to exact his revenge. Odin deserved no less than his best efforts, after all…

(SCENE)

Later in the day, Loki summoned Sigyn to the throne room. They hadn’t shared minds yet that day and she was unaware of the latest development. When she arrived, he heard her gasp as she approached the throne. “What has happened?” she asked cautiously.

Loki held his hand out and kissed hers when she was close enough. “The throne has fallen to me,” he explained. “Is this not wonderful news?”

“This is indeed wonderful news,” Sigyn said before leaning in to kiss Loki. She stopped just before reaching him and stepped back a moment. “Oh, I suppose I must ask permission of my king to kiss him,” she said quietly, blushing.

For the second time that day, Loki cleared the room and waited until he and Sigyn were alone to allow her to kiss him. In spite of everything that had occurred in the past couple of days, she still managed to make him feel desirable. He allowed himself to put his unhappy thoughts in the back of his mind for a while and enjoy spending time with his wife, the newly-made queen of Asgard.

“Do you remember before we were wedded, I told you that I would make you the queen of Asgard?” Loki said while nuzzling his wife’s neck. “I have done that for you, my queen…”

Sigyn grinned wickedly and climbed up onto the throne, next to Loki. “Oh my lord-husband,” she whispered in between kisses, “I wish for you to take me right here, on the throne…”

Loki sat back and looked at her with raised eyebrows, but allowed her to do what she wanted with him, amused at her boldness. Within a minute, he was partaking in her pleasures. The thought of taking her in such a fashion was nearly unbearable in how enjoyable it was. “Loki, let us conceive a child finally,” she cried out at one point in time. “A child conceived on the throne of Asgard would be powerful. There is magic in that.”

Loki frowned and was immediately overcome with a sense of shame. He reached his hands up and placed them on her shoulders. “No, stop, Sigyn” he said as he pushed her off of him. “No more…”

Sigyn looked hurt and frustrated. “Why not? Was I not pleasuring you the way you enjoy it? What is the matter?” she asked.

Loki was silent for a moment as he dressed again. “I will father no more children,” he said quietly.

“Why? Because of what you truly are? Loki, you are a wonderful person and father. That is what you truly are. You deserve to father many more children,” Sigyn replied with a steady voice, though in her eyes he could see fear and desperation.

“I cannot be responsible for fathering more children who will have to one day go through what I am living through,” he hissed. “It is cruel to do so and a child deserves better than that.”

Sigyn’s eyes filled with tears. “Loki…A child deserves a father like you,” she cried. “You are a great father!”

Loki shook his head. “This conversation is over,” he growled. “I have already infected our sons and I will not pass it on to any more children!”

“Infected…Loki, this is not an illness…”

“Enough!” Loki’s eyes shone with anger and he felt his control slipping again as it had with Frigga earlier that day. He walked over to Sigyn and grabbed her by the arm. “Do not speak of this again!” He shook her as he screamed. “There will be no more children. Do you understand?”

Sigyn ripped her arm away from her husband’s grip. “Unhand me!” she cried, pushing him away from her. “Loki, what is happening to you?”

“What is happening to me? Do you really have to ask me that?” Loki looked incredulous. “I am perfectly within my rights to refuse you more children. I have a realm to rule and no time to indulge you in your silly, womanly desires. Go back to our chambers and your duties as a mother to the sons you do have. Let that be enough for you.” Feeling the pain in her heart as he spoke made him angry at himself. Why couldn’t he stop hurting her? Sigyn was the only person in his life, besides the boys, who truly loved him for who he was. She wanted nothing more than to be a good wife to him and a good mother to his children. He wanted to give her more children and it pained him to have to withhold from her what she wanted most. It only served to make him feel angrier over the whole situation. It was this that fueled his irrationality. He couldn’t even think anymore. “Or would you like me to find you a proxy? Is that what you would like? A proxy who would give you as many bastards as your heart desires?”

Sigyn did not respond, but took a moment to search her husband’s mind. In it she felt a swirling, hot darkness that frightened her. His mind was no longer what she was used to. Her eyes grew wide as his narrowed. “Get out!” his mind screamed into hers. “You are no longer welcome here!”

She withdrew from him with an audible gasp and stepped away from him. “Who are you?” she whispered. “You are not my Sjalsfrande…” Loki stepped menacingly towards her and she took another step back. For the first time ever since knowing Loki, she felt unsafe around him. The thought saddened and terrified her. “When you return to our chambers, I shall have moved into one of the spare sleeping chambers…You need to be alone now, I think…”

Loki nodded his head. “Alone…Alone is what I need now,” he replied. Now that he knew what he truly was, he was overwhelmed with a sense that he didn’t deserve to be around Sigyn or his children. He was a danger to them, he realized that now, and it was for the best to be parted from them. They would see one day that it was the right choice.

“Make sure you and the children remain quiet when I return,” Loki called out to her as she left the throne room. “I have so many important concerns now. It takes all of my concentration. I need silence…”

Sigyn stopped and turned to look carefully at her husband. “And if we should accidentally disrupt you?”

Loki shrugged and looked down at Gungnir in his hand. “I should hope that you would be a good enough mother to make sure it didn’t happen,” he replied coolly. “If you cannot manage that, perhaps my sons need somebody who will be a better disciplinarian. Can you be the mother they need?”

Sigyn was silent a moment, and something her friend Sif had said once while Sigyn had been pregnant with the boys, resurfaced in her mind. “All mothers are warriors.”

“Yes Loki, I will be the mother they need,” she said calmly before leaving him alone in the throne room. Her heart broke as she hurried back to their chambers. She did her best to block Loki’s mind from hers, in fear of him finding out too soon what she intended to do. Her hand closed around the hilt of her dagger as she thought about being forced to possibly defend herself or her children against her own husband. Would he really hurt them if they interrupted his important business?

Loki’s knowledge of his true parentage seemed to have broken his mind. He was no longer aware of his thoughts and actions being so incongruous from his normal self. He was now the king, and how could she defend herself against him? She didn’t have Thor or Odin to turn to. Kjell was no match against him. Who could she turn to? Who would help her? Perhaps she could manage to keep her rambunctious children quiet enough to please Loki, but she feared what he might do if one of them displeased him. The anger she felt in his mind was overwhelming; consuming all of his thoughts. The anger was now the driving force in his life. He could no longer be reasoned with.

As she got closer to her chambers, she decided to take control of the situation. She reached out to Loki’s mind one final time. “My love, I think perhaps it would be better for you if the children and I went on holiday to Kjell’s for a while. That way it would be as quiet in our home as you need it to be. Would you like that?”

Loki’s response came when she approached their chambers. “I think that would be an ideal solution,” he said calmly. “Stay as long as you wish…”

Sigyn began to cry as she walked into their home. “We shall be gone by the time you return,” she replied. When Brynja arrived from the kitchens, Sigyn’s tears had stopped. Together, they packed clothes, toys, and other items for the extended “holiday” they would be taking to Kjell’s home.

The boys were very excited about the holiday with Kjell, and even more excited that Sigyn was joining them as well. “But what about far?” Nari asked when he had finished jumping up and down.

“Far is very busy right now,” Sigyn explained carefully. “He has been named king of Asgard since Thor has been banished and Odin is resting. So, it shall just be the three of us, and Brynja, but we shall still have a fun time, right?”

Sigyn, Brynja, and the boys traipsed over to Kjell’s later that afternoon, heavily laden with their belongings. Kjell was very happy to see them, and opened his home to them all. “Brynja and I shall share a room, and Vali and Nari shall share a room,” Sigyn declared as they decided how best to share Kjell’s smaller chambers. “We shall all be very cozy and comfortable indeed.”

That night, after the boys had gone to sleep, Sigyn confided in Kjell and Brynja what had transpired over the last couple of days. She knew both of them were loyal and faithful enough to be trusted with Loki’s secret, and decided they needed to know. “I fear he has gone mad,” she said quietly.

Kjell stood up and walked over to Sigyn. “My daughter, you may stay here as long as you need. I will begin divorce proceedings in your stead if you so desire,” he said, patting her back comfortingly.

Sigyn shook her head and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. “I could never divorce Loki, my father,” she replied. “He is my Sjalsfrande, and always shall be. But I thank you for your caring just the same.”

“When should the boys be told of this?” Brynja asked. “Should they not be told the truth?”

“Perhaps when they are a little older and are able to understand it better, I shall tell them,” Sigyn replied.

That night, Sigyn and Brynja lay in the bed they were sharing and talked in whispers for a couple hours. Brynja seemed to sense Sigyn’s discomfort over Loki’s rejection, and wrapped her warm arms around her mistress’s shoulders. “My lady, I have faith that all will be right once Loki gets over the shock of his parentage,” she said soothingly.

Sigyn sighed and settled into Byrnja’s arms. “I thank you for your faith in my husband,” she replied before falling into a fitful, exhausted sleep.

(SCENE)

A week passed before Sigyn heard from Loki again. He had not contacted her mind since the day she’d left their chambers. Brynja returned from the kitchens one day with rumors abounding that the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had disobeyed Loki’s orders and had traveled to Midgard, where it was said that Thor had been exiled. “They mean to bring him back!” Brynja exclaimed. “Loki is quite displeased of course…”

Sigyn’s heart pounded at the thought of Thor returning. Perhaps he could help turn things to rights. Maybe Thor could get through to Loki better than she could.

The next day, though, Sigyn’s life shattered before her eyes, and she was helpless to stop it. Loki’s mind met with hers and she watched as Thor, newly returned to Asgard, reluctantly fought his brother. Loki was the aggressor, and beyond reason. His heart was so full of hatred that she thought he meant to kill Thor and Odin both. All she could feel was the anger and hate.

Sigyn left the boys with Brynja and raced through the halls towards the Bifrost to try and stop her husband. “Loki, you must stop this!” she cried out into his mind. The backlash he sent in return made her reel. A wave of rage poured through her and she had to stop running and breathe deeply for a minute to clear it from her mind. When she could think again, she started to run towards Heimdall’s station where the fight now was.

Sigyn arrived at the far end of the Bifrost to see Loki lying on his back, with Mjolnir set on his chest, keeping him from being able to sit up. Heimdall’s station looked as though it was about to collapse on itself. She watched as Thor summoned Mjolnir off of Loki and used it to break the Bifrost in two. Loki was screaming at him and trying to stop it. The bridge split after several hits, sending the overloading station into the water below. Loki lunged at Thor with Gungnir, and the force of the Bifrost collapsing sent them both toppling over the edge. Sigyn screamed and began to run towards them, but was overtaken by somebody else—Odin. Odin must have sensed he was greatly needed and had awoken from his sleep. He caught Thor by the foot and kept him from falling. In one hand, Thor held Gungnir, and Loki also held on to the handle as they both dangled over the edge of the abyss. Sigyn slowly approached and watched as her husband let go of the spear a few seconds later and fell.

A scream ripped out of her lungs as she ran toward Odin. She watched, helplessly, as Loki fell into the darkness and could be seen no more. Odin had helped Thor up onto the Bifrost, and it took both men to restrain her from jumping after her husband. “Loki!” she screamed. “No!”

“Sigyn, it is done!” Odin growled forcefully, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back from the edge. “It is too late. He’s gone.”

Thor’s face contorted with agony and tears flowed down his cheeks to hear his father’s words. He threw his arms around Sigyn and held her tightly. The two of them sobbed inconsolably for some time.

As Sigyn let Thor hold her, Loki’s mind entered hers from afar. “Sigyn, I am sorry, my Sjalsfrande…I am sorry to do this to you and the children. But I am no longer your burden, don’t you see? You are free of me now.”

“Loki, why did you do this? You will die…”

“You should not have to live with the likes of me, Sigyn. I see now what I have always been, and it is better this way.” Loki’s response sounded like an echo from far away in her head. “Sigyn, I release you from your wedding vows. You are my widow now. Take your dowry and use it to keep yourself and the boys comfortable. And one day, perhaps you will marry a man who can give you the children you desire…”

“None of that means anything if you are not here! Why Loki? Please come back to me!”

“This is for the best, my love. You will see…” His communication broke off at that point, leaving Sigyn completely bereft. She collapsed into Thor’s arms and sobbed until she had no more tears to cry. When she had finished, he placed an arm around her waist and helped her walk back into the palace.

Odin tried to place his hand on her shoulder as they walked, but she slapped it away. “Do not touch me!” she cried angrily. “This is all your fault! Loki went mad because of your lies and now he’s gone! You ruined his life. You destroyed all that was good about him! And now you’ve ruined my life and my children’s lives.” Sigyn gasped for breath before continuing. “You and Frigga both! Your deceptions destroyed us all! You stay away from me and my children! You are not allowed to see them again, do you understand?”

“Sigyn, let me explain—” Odin sounded exhausted and weakened. It made her resent him even more for some reason.

“There is nothing to explain. You explain it to Thor if you want to talk about it so badly. You’ve lied to him his whole life too, haven’t you?” With that, she pushed Odin away from her. “Be gone with you! And if you ever come near me or my sons again, I shall finish Loki’s task for him and kill you myself!” Odin let go of her and fell back behind Thor as they returned to the palace.

Thor helped Sigyn back to Kjell’s chambers and saw to it that Brynja was there with her before taking his leave. He ordered Brynja to give her something to drink to calm her down. “I must speak with Odin,” he said quietly, before leaving.

Sigyn knew not what to do when he left. She was not a widow; Loki was not dead. He was just gone. But he said she was released from her wedding vows to him, and assumed himself to die in his fall. She knew he was still a part of her soul and could never forsake him or their vows. She would never have another husband or bear another man’s children. To suggest such a thing to her just proved in her mind how mad Loki had become. He knew not what he said or did anymore.

Thor returned later that night, looking lost and pained. “Odin told me everything,” he said quietly, sitting next to Sigyn by the hearth. “He told me the truth of my brother’s parentage.” She watched as tears flowed down his cheeks. “I care not who he really is. Loki is my brother and I shall always have love in my heart for him!” He reached up and rent his red cape off of one shoulder in an act of mourning.

Sigyn’s lip quivered and she reached down to tear her tunic in a similar fashion. “I do not know what to tell my sons,” she cried. “They know nothing of this!”

Thor drew her into a fierce hug and together they mourned their loss. “I am angry at Odin for what he did, by my heart is heavier with sorrow,” he said a while later. “I shall stay here with you, and we will figure all of this out together, you and I.” “

Thor, Loki has such anger in his heart and mind right now…I could not stop his plans,” Sigyn confessed. “I knew what he was trying to do, since you were named heir he has been plotting against you, and I said nothing…Can you forgive me?”

Thor placed his hands on Sigyn’s cheeks and kissed her forehead. “You had no choice but to remain loyal to your husband. There is nothing for me to forgive. You are innocent in all of this,” he replied.

Sigyn sat next to Thor, watching the fire die down in the hearth. “How will I explain this to my sons?” she asked again.

Thor wrapped his arm around her shoulders and took one of her hands in his. “I shall help you tell them everything tomorrow,” he replied. “They should know what they really are. Odin should have told my brother long ago. It’s possible none of this would have happened if he had.”

“I threatened the Allfather’s life…” The reality of Sigyn’s anger hit her and she shivered. “I could be executed for that.”

“Father said he knew you were angry and didn’t mean those words. He will not hold them against you,” Thor replied.

Sigyn knew she would not be able to sleep, so she peppered Thor with questions about his banishment. “You seem changed by it,” she remarked. “You seem older now.”

Thor nodded his head in agreement and told her about his experiences and the Midgardian woman he had fallen in love with. “I did not really know what love was like until Jane,” he said in conclusion. “I know it must pale in comparison to your Sjalsfrande with Loki, but it is still quite powerful.”

“Thor, what wonderful news,” Sigyn replied. “Will you speak to Odin about forming a marriage contract with her father?”

“I do not think that is the Midgardian way,” Thor explained. “I believe there, it is customary for the man to ask the woman herself for permission to marry, and if she wishes to, she consents.”

Sigyn gasped lightly. “Such a strange custom,” she commented.

Thor nodded. “They do have some rather odd ways,” he agreed. “In Midgard, they do not tell stories as we do. They have a magic box that shows moving pictures and tells stories for them. It is called a tel…tele…Well I do not know the word, but it is a very strange thing, I can assure you.”

“It seems you learned a lot from them.”

“I did.”

“Will you visit your Jane again soon?”

Thor frowned and looked at the floor. “When I destroyed the Bifrost, I knew I would be cutting off my access to her. But I had to in order to save the Jotuns.”

“So you are parted from her forever?”

“At least until the Bifrost is rebuilt, or we find a new way to travel to Midgard.”

“Now we are both parted from our loves. I am sorry.”

“Me too…”

The boys awoke the next morning to find their farbror Thor waiting for them. “Thor! Thor!” they cried, running over to him at the breakfast table. “You’re back! We missed you!”

“Hello, my brorsons,” Thor said in greeting. “Join me for the morning meal.”

Sigyn served her children and brother-in-law before sitting down to break her own fast. She had no desire to eat, but wanted to appear normal for her sons.

“Thor, what kind of adventures did you have on Midgard? Did you slay many people?” Nari asked as he ate.

“No, Nari,” Thor replied. “The Midgardians are a kind people and I did not slay anybody.”

When the meal ended, Thor held his hands out and took the boys over to the hearth. “Boys, your mor and I need to speak to you,” he said seriously. Sigyn joined his side and Vali sat on her lap as they settled in to talk.

“It’s about far, isn’t it?” Vali asked. “I dreamed of him last night. He was falling and couldn’t find us. He was very sad.”

Sigyn held him tightly and kissed his cheek. “Yes, it is about far,” she replied. “A while ago, your far found out something that upset him terribly…” It took a long time to explain it to the children. Thor and Sigyn took turns explaining and answering questions.

“Far…a Frost Giant?” Nari asked for the fifth time. “A prince of the Jotuns? He was of royal blood?”

“He is Laufey’s son,” Thor replied. “Laufey was king of the Jotuns until…” He paused and considered his words. Frigga had told him how Loki had killed Laufey just before Thor’s return to Asgard.

“Until Laufey died,” Sigyn finished. She too knew the truth, but decided the boys could be spared some of the details until they were older.

“So, far is king of the Jotuns now?” Vali asked, looking confused.

“Well, I’m sure Laufey has many other sons…” Sigyn replied.

“Yes, Laufey has many sons,” Thor confirmed.

Nari didn’t seem terribly upset at the revelation that his father was a Frost Giant. “Where is far? I wish to see him turn blue!”

Thor took a deep breath before continuing with his explanation of what had happened to Loki. Both boys were crying by the time he had finished.

“My far has fallen!” Nari gasped, clinging to Thor’s arm.

“It wasn’t a dream, it was real!” Vali cried.

Both boys ripped a sleeve off their tunics and wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders. They sobbed loudly as Sigyn and Thor looked on helplessly. “But far is alive, you know this,” Sigyn finally said through her own tears. “We can all feel his soul still with us, right? We can feel it is alive. He has fallen, yes, but one day he shall come home again.”

Vali and Nari both threw themselves into Sigyn’s arms, and she rocked them in silence as they sobbed and Thor looked on brokenheartedly.

Sigyn wondered how best to tell the boys that they too had Frost Giant blood, when Vali spoke up. Vali, her clever and fiercely intelligent boy, of course had worked it out already. “Mor, if far is a Frost Giant…are Nari and I Frost Giants too?” he asked quietly. He shuddered and pressed his face to Sigyn’s side. She kissed his head and held him close.

“You and Nari are…half Frost Giant…” Thor answered after a moment.

“But how do we look like this?” Nari asked, looking down at his arms. “I look normal.”

“Your farmor Frigga gave you magic when you were born and it makes you appear as you do now,” Sigyn explained. “But if you concentrate very hard on it, you should be able to change your appearance. Your far was able to.”

Nari stood up and stepped away from his family. He closed his eyes and was silent for almost a full minute before he turned a pale shade of blue. His skin was paler than Loki’s had been. Nari opened his eyes and Sigyn could see that they had turned a light red. He also had lines on his arms and face like his father had. She gasped at her son’s true appearance, just as she had with Loki. “How do you feel, Nari?” she asked.

Nari looked down at his arms in wonderment. “Hot,” he replied. “Terribly hot.” He knelt down before Vali and held his hand out in front of his brother’s face. “Come Vali, you must try this too.”

Vali shook his head and clung to Sigyn even more tightly. He sobbed quietly, despondently. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Sigyn said, rocking Vali as she had when he was younger.

Nari began to run around the room. “I am a Frost Giant!” he cried excitedly. “I will freeze you!” He approached Thor and growled at him. “I will get you!”

“Don’t touch anybody in this form, Nari,” Sigyn instructed. “You will burn people.” She was slowly adjusting to her son’s appearance, and it helped that he seemed so enthusiastic about this revelation.

“I won’t, mor,” Nari promised. He held his hands close to her face. “Can you feel the cold?”

“Yes I can, it is freezing,” Sigyn replied.

He stood up and looked thoughtful. “Mor, if far is a prince of Jotun, then I am a prince of Jotun,” he said. “And I am a prince of Asgard…I am a double prince!”

“I suppose you are,” Sigyn replied. “You and Vali both.”

“Perhaps one day I shall be king of Asgard and Jotenheim both,” Nari continued, turning to look at Thor. “Unless the Allfather makes you king of Asgard…Is far king still?”

“I do not think so,” Thor replied. “I believe the Allfather is king once again.”

Nari looked disappointed and sat down on the floor. His blue appearance slowly dissipated back to his usual skin tone. “I should like to be king of Asgard one day…”

“Perhaps I will have no sons,” Thor said before ruffling Nari’s hair. “And I will name you as my heir.”

“But what if _I_ wish to be king of Asgard one day?” Vali asked, turning in his mother’s lap to look at Thor. He frowned.

“You can’t be king, dummy, I’m the oldest,” Nari said before sticking his tongue out at Vali.

“But we’re twins!”

“I was still born first…”

“Boys, stop quarreling,” Sigyn demanded. “Thor will mostly likely father sons one day and neither of you is likely to become king of Asgard. “You shall be contented to remain princes.”

“Yes mor,” the boys replied in unison.

Sigyn’s mind was numb as she looked at her sons. What was she supposed to do now? How was her life supposed to continue without Loki there? “I cannot think today,” she said slowly. “Let us suspend our studies for the day and take the opportunity to move back into our own chambers. Kjell has been quite generous with his home, but it is time for us to return to ours.”

“I shall help,” Thor offered. “Let us begin to pack, boys.”

Nari ran around Kjell’s rooms shouting out orders of what Thor should pack while Vali remained close to his mother’s side. Sigyn hoped a day of hard work would help soothe her son’s troubled mind. “Tonight, you shall sleep in your own bed again, won’t that be nice?” she asked cheerfully that afternoon.

“Yes, Nari kicks in his sleep,” Vali admitted. “I like having my own bed.”

Sigyn smiled and nodded her head. “I am glad you will get your own bed again.”

By supper, they were all moved back into their home. Sigyn thanked her father for his generosity and hospitality before taking her leave.

“Thor, do you intend to return to your chambers, or should I have Brynja prepare a room for you?” she asked that night at supper.

“Stay farbror!” Nari cried.

“Yes, stay!” Vali echoed.

“I would not mind staying since the boys wish me to,” Thor replied.

Sigyn nodded and smiled. “You may stay as long as you like,” she said.

The boys were exhausted that evening and fell asleep quickly. Thor did not tell them a bedtime story about Frost Giants. “I’ll have to figure out other stories from now on,” he said as he sat down next to Sigyn by the hearth.

Sigyn sighed and tried to concentrate on her mending, but failed. She set it down and turned to Thor. “You believe Loki still lives, don’t you?” she asked imploringly.

Thor reached out and took her hand in his. “I do not see how a man can fall as he did and live, but your souls are connected. If you did not feel him die, then there must be hope that he still lives,” he said.

Brynja was preparing Thor’s room, so he stayed at Sigyn’s side and they talked quietly for several hours before going to bed. Sigyn wondered if she’d be able to sleep, but exhaustion took over, and she soon drifted off. Her dreams were only of Loki. Loki holding her hand and kissing her tenderly. Loki making love to her. Loki falling off the bridge. Falling through the abyss. In her dream, she threw out her hand to catch him as he fell, and he grasped it tightly, never letting go. “I am still here,” he said into her mind.

“Where are you, my love?”

“I am falling still.”

“When will you land?”

“I know not.”

“Do not ever let go of me, my husband. I will never give up on you.”

“My love, my Sjalsfrande, we are always connected.”

Sigyn awoke the next morning feeling surer than ever that Loki was still alive.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn's lives continue to fall to wreck and ruin. Sigyn does her best to carry on without Loki, but even from afar, his problems become her problems. Odin and Frigga step in and care for the family in their greatest time of need.

The next day, Odin summoned Thor and Sigyn to the throne room to discuss matters. “I cannot see how he could fall for that long and survive,” he said after Sigyn had told him of her dream. “It was just a dream, nothing more. We shall enter into mourning, though always keeping hope with us. At the week’s end, we will hold the mourning feast in Loki’s honor.”

“But he is not dead!” Sigyn cried, holding her hands up imploringly.

“You shall be given your dowry, and Asgard will look upon you officially as Loki’s widow,” Odin replied, ignoring her outburst.

“I am _not_ Loki’s widow! I am his wife!” She hated when Odin dismissed her as he was doing now.

“One day, if you so desire, you may marry a man of your choosing.”

“I will never marry another man! Loki is the only husband I shall ever have. I will die before I marry another!”

Odin looked at her, and his gaze softened a moment later. “Your fidelity to my son is honorable,” he said softly. “But do not let his rash decisions affect the rest of your life. You say he released you from your wedding vows. Do not live the rest of your life tied to a man who no longer wishes to be connected to you. At least allow yourself to take a lover if nothing else. You deserve happiness in your life.”

Sigyn frowned and bit her lip. “He is still my husband and he _will_ come home,” she replied firmly. “I thank you for your concern, Allfather, but knowing he will return will sustain me.”

Odin nodded and spoke no more. Sigyn and Thor left a short time later.

“I do not want to mourn Loki,” Sigyn said as Thor escorted her back to her chambers.

“I do not wish to either, but Odin must be obeyed,” Thor said with a frown. “He is a wise man, and perhaps he has a reason for it.”

Days slowly passed and Sigyn continued with Nari and Vali’s education. It made her feel better to have a distraction to pass the time. Thor threw himself into training the boys as well, and before they all knew it, the day of Loki’s mourning feast had arrived.

Sigyn dressed the boys in their finest clothes and attended the feast with them, though under protest. As with any mourning feast, stories were told of Loki’s life and everybody laughed, ate, and drank to his memory. She received many well-wishes that day, though she wanted to scream the entire time.

Thor and Odin retreated after a while, to speak privately, as did Frigga and the Lady Sif. Out of the corner of her eyes, Sigyn caught a glimpse of an ivory-skinned woman in a long green dress. Hela. What was she doing here? From the looks of it, nobody else could see her, for no one reacted when she walked past them. Sigyn watched as the woman left the room before entrusting the boys’ care to Brynja and running out of the dining hall after Hela.

There was nobody in the hallway when Sigyn got there, but she ran around the corner and saw the retreating figure of Death. “Stop!” she called out.

Hela came to a sudden halt and glided around to face her, her long green dress floating about her ankles. The tall, pale woman smiled her beautiful, terrible smile and moved closer. “Sigyn,” she said in greeting.

“Why are you here, Hela?”

“I am always at a mourning feast,” Hela explained. “I am the uninvited guest. It is my duty to attend.”

Sigyn’s heart pounded. Why would she come to a mourning feast if Loki was not truly dead? “Please, you must tell me, is Loki with you now, in Hel?”

Hela smiled and laughed.

Sigyn frowned and folded her arms. “What is so amusing?” she asked testily.

Hela shook her head gently. “Your love for your husband has made you strong,” she commented. “I remember how you quailed before me the last time I saw you…” When Sigyn squared her shoulders, Hela continued. “I am merely amused because in all my long years in existence, I have never been the bearer of glad tidings, until now. Because you are Loki’s wife, I shall tell you. He is not with me. He has merely fallen; he has not passed into my realm.”

Sigyn’s eyes filled with tears and she smiled. “I knew it,” she whispered as relief flooded her entire body. “Thank you, Hela.”

“You are welcome,” Hela replied, amusement showing in her clear blue eyes. Eyes that reminded Sigyn of her husband’s, for his were the same color.

“Hela…How is it that you know Loki? He did not know you that day.” Sigyn felt bold enough to ask this. “You knew what he truly was. That was what you said to Odin…”

Hela smiled demurely. “That…I cannot reveal to you. But for you and your life and for your children, it matters not. My relationship with Loki is for me only to know. You needn’t worry, however,” she said.

“If you hear of Loki’s whereabouts, will you tell me?”

Hela smiled again. “You will not need me to. You shall know on your own.” She began to glide away from Sigyn. “I must go now. I am needed elsewhere.” With that, she blinked out of Sigyn’s sight.

Sigyn sighed and slumped against the wall, much like she had after her first encounter with Hela. This time, however, she was not overwrought with fear, but with hope. Loki was not dead! She felt elated to have her suspicions confirmed.

As she made her way through the halls, back to the dining hall, she met Thor who was returning from speaking with Odin. “Sigyn, I see such joy on your face at this sad time,” he said in greeting. “What has happened?”

Sigyn grinned and threw her arms around Thor’s waist. “I have just spoken with Hela,” she replied, “and she assured me that Loki is not in her realm. He is not dead!”

“Such wonderful news indeed!” Thor exclaimed before leaning down to kiss Sigyn.

“Shouldn’t we inform Odin?”

“Tomorrow perhaps. There is too much happening today. I will speak to him myself,” Thor replied. He took Sigyn’s hand in his and they stood in the hallway talking. Thor spoke of his reconciliation with Odin and how he had forgiven his father for the lies about Loki’s parentage. “Loki is and always shall be, my heart’s brother, even if he is not my blood brother.”

“And have you told him about your Jane?” Sigyn asked.

Thor sighed. “Odin does not approve of me loving a mortal…” he replied. “He said it would be better if I found an Asgardian maiden to marry.”

“Oh Thor, that is terrible news,” Sigyn said with a frown. She squeezed his hand encouragingly. “What will you do?”

Thor looked at the floor and shrugged his shoulders. “The Bifrost is broken so I cannot travel to see her, or even communicate with her. Father will not support me if I pursue her. I suppose it is best if I try to forget about her…”

“Would you like me to speak to Odin on your behalf?”

“That is kind of you to offer, but I do not think he can be swayed. His mind is set. In his view, no king of Asgard could ever marry a mortal Midgardian.”

“I am sorry, Thor.” Sigyn hugged him again, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

(SCENE)

After the mourning feast ended, life entered into a new sense of “normal” for Sigyn. Life continued on, because it had to, but much of the joy in her life was now gone because Loki was not there with her. Thor continued to live with her and the children, she thought because it gave him something other than his misery to concentrate on. Nari and Vali were happier now to know that Loki still lived and that Thor would be staying with them indefinitely. Sif and the Warriors Three were constant guests in Sigyn’s home, and the boys took great delight in their presence. Volstagg often brought his young sons Alaric and Rolfe to play with Nari and Vali. The four children became fast friends who could barely stand to be separated from one another.

Odin would not change his stance on Loki’s status. Thor told him of Hela’s revelation, but he refused to acknowledge it until he had absolute proof. He also would not bend on his resolve that Thor would not be allowed to marry a mortal. Thor seemed unwilling to disobey his father’s wishes.

Sigyn wondered if Thor felt as lonely and bereft as she did. Knowing Loki lived gave her hope that he might return one day, but it did nothing to quell the aching need she had to be with him now. She needed him to return to Asgard, to hold him in her arms, to feel him press her down into their marriage bed as he made love to her. She filled her days with her sons’ studies, chores, and spending time with others, but as days turned into weeks, and finally months with no change, it became nearly unbearable.

One day, she sought out Frigga’s advice on the matter. “You have had to live many times with your husband gone and no knowledge of when he will return or if he will,” she said one afternoon in her mother-in-law’s private chambers. “How do you live with it? I am so lonely and driven to distraction, and I don’t know how to ignore it any longer. Can you tell me how to put it aside and go on with my own life?”

Frigga reached out and placed one of her hands on Sigyn’s. “My dear child, you must not ignore your needs,” she replied, “you must satisfy them. That is the only way you can keep the want and need from overwhelming you. They exist because they are important, not because they should be put aside.”

“But if I see to my needs, it would mean I was not honoring my wedding vows,” Sigyn replied, biting her lip.

“Your wedding vows pledge loyalty to your husband,” Frigga said. “Just because you seek another to satisfy needs that he cannot or will not fulfill, does not mean you are disloyal. It only means that you are taking care of yourself. Loki has left you, and as far as I can see, you have fulfilled your wedding vows to him faithfully and owe him nothing more. I admire your loyalty to him in spite of all he has put you through. You are the very embodiment of fidelity, my dear girl. But do not forsake fidelity to yourself either. Just because you take another man into your bed does not mean you love your husband any less.”

Sigyn took her mother-in-law’s words with her that day and thought for several days about them. Would taking a lover really help her? Would it satisfy her needs even if it wasn’t Loki she lay with? Could she live with herself if she invited a strange man into her bed, and shared her body with him? It was overwhelming to think about.

Thor seemed agitated too. He began to spend more time in Odin’s throne room, helping with war strategies. With the Bifrost destroyed, they had only Heimdall to rely upon for news of the other realms. What he saw was not good. Because Asgard was unable to protect the other realms, they were falling into chaos. They were being raided and attacked by groups of unknown marauders. And the Jotuns were also regrouping after Laufey’s death and wished to seek vengeance for what had been done by Loki’s hand.

“Do the Jotuns mean to attack us?” Sigyn asked one night after her sons had gone to sleep.

“I fear they do,” Thor replied quietly. “Loki showed them a secret way into Asgard once, and I am sure they can find other ways.”

Sigyn shivered. “What shall we do if they invade Asgard?”

Thor stood up from his seat at the dining table and joined her at the bench where she was mending clothes. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close against him. “I will not let harm come to you or my brorsons. I assure you,” he replied firmly, “I will always keep you safe.”

Sigyn allowed herself to settle into his embrace. Loki was not here, but at least somebody was making her feel comforted. “I thank you, Thor, for your devotion to me and my children,” she said in a whisper. She glanced up to see him looking down at her and knew from the look on his face what he wanted. There was no time to protest before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue entwined with hers and he moved his hands up from her waist to cup her breasts.

Thor kissed her for a minute before pulling away and looking hungrily into her eyes again. “My brother abandoned you, and he released you from your wedding vows. You owe him nothing. I must try to move on from the one I love as well. Why not move on together?” He reached down and began to unbutton her tunic. When she was bare down to the waist, he bent down and kissed her again. “Do you remember the night before you were wedded and I let you and Loki borrow my chambers? When I saw you sleeping on my bed, I wished to take you right then.” He spoke in between kisses.

Sigyn knew not what was happening, but knew she enjoyed having somebody to satisfy her needs after such a long absence from affection. She pulled Thor up to look into his eyes for a moment before returning his kiss. “Let us go somewhere private,” she whispered a minute later. She wasn’t sure what would be happening between herself and Thor this night, but didn’t want her sons or any of the servants to witness it.

They stood up after a while and Thor led her by the hand to his chambers. Sigyn hurried along next to him, clasping her clothing to herself and trying to decide if she was doing the right thing. She loved Loki and always would, but perhaps it was time to take Frigga’s advice. Was she being disloyal to Loki by finding another outlet for her own needs? For so long she had only thought of her husband’s and children’s needs, never her own.

Thor shut the door to his chambers and began to remove his clothing. Sigyn kept her eyes on him as she did the same. She thought his body was very attractive, and smiled while looking at him. When they were both disrobed, Thor rushed over and embraced Sigyn once again. He lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her over to his bed. He gently laid her on the bed before settling in on top of her. They kissed for a long time, both enjoying the feel of the other’s body pressing against theirs. Sigyn found it strange not to be able to feel Thor’s pleasure, or hear his thoughts. Did he enjoy what she was doing? She could only rely on his responses to her ministrations to tell if she was doing it right. It still felt somewhat hollow compared to making love to her husband.

Thor pulled away from Sigyn after a while and looked into her eyes. “Little Sigyn,” he whispered affectionately. “You are lonely and husbandless. And I am not permitted to be with the woman I want. Why do we not embrace that? Become my wife and you will be the queen of Asgard again one day. And I shall give you many more sons. I know that is what you truly desire. Loki has not done this for you, but I can…” He didn’t wait for her response before kissing her again. He let his hands roam over her soft skin as they kissed. After several minutes, he pulled away and looked at her carefully. “Well? What do you think?”

Sigyn sat up in the bed and looked down at Thor. She reached out and traced her fingers over his muscular chest. “I think…that we should not be too hasty,” she replied slowly. “I think that we should really think about this before doing anything else.” She gazed into his eyes. “You do not really wish to marry me, do you?”

Thor sighed and shook his head. “My heart will always belong to Jane Foster,” he replied.

Sigyn nodded. “And mine shall always belong to Loki,” she said. “I thank you for your kindness, and your love as a friend and my husband’s brother. You are a wonderful farbror to my sons. But I do not think it would be wise of me to bear your children. Loki is my husband still, no matter what he claims, and his will be the only children I bear, if it is meant to happen.”

Thor nodded again and began to sit up. “I am sorry I acted so rashly,” he said, looking sheepish. “Though I did mean what I said about wishing to have had you when I saw you all those years ago…”

Sigyn smiled and sat in contemplation for a while. Her heart pounded as she debated with herself and pondered Frigga’s advice. Finally, she made up her mind and lay back down in Thor’s bed. When he looked down at her incredulously, she smiled. “Our hearts and souls belong to others,” she said quietly, “but our bodies are our own. Who we share them with is up to us to decide. We are both terribly lonely, so let us have tonight. Let us satisfy our needs for this night only.” She reached down and grasped him gently, causing him to gasp. “What do you think?”

Thor grinned and threw the bedclothes back over them. They made love the entire night. Sigyn appreciated Thor’s playful approach, and there was a lot of laughter between them. She did miss the extra level of intimacy that Sjalsfrande brought, but Thor managed to satisfy her thoroughly anyway. By sunrise, they were completely relaxed and sated, and fell asleep in one another’s arms, with smiles on their faces.

Brynja, upon seeing her mistress in her brother-in-law’s bed that morning, fed the children their breakfast and sent them off to spend the day training with the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. She never spoke of what she saw to another soul, and kept her mistress’s secret faithfully.

(SCENE)

Sigyn and Thor never spoke about what had happened between them that night, but they both found that their lives were more bearable afterwards. They laughed and joked and truly allowed themselves to enjoy their lives. Thor remained a fixture in Nari and Vali’s lives, and Sigyn’s as well, though neither was tempted to be intimate with the other again.

The joy and comfort that had newly returned to Sigyn’s life, however, was short-lived. One night, her dreams were filled with pain and terror and she woke up screaming and in a sweat. Brynja and Thor both rushed into her sleeping chambers to see what was wrong. Thor helped Sigyn sit up in her bed and clasped her hand in his. “What is the matter?” he asked.

Sigyn closed her eyes, trying to get the images in her mind to fade away, but they remained there. “They have Loki,” she whispered. “They are hurting him…”

Thor furrowed his brow. “Who, Sigyn? Who has Loki?”

“I do not know,” Sigyn replied. “I do not believe they are of the Nine Realms. But they are mistreating him and he hurts.”

Thor frowned and helped her to stand when she tried to get up. Sigyn put a hand to her forehead and her knees buckled. Thor caught her before she collapsed.

“Brynja, summon a healer at once,” he commanded before helping Sigyn back into the bed. She began to scream and thrash her arms and legs, but wouldn’t respond to Thor when he tried to restrain her.

A healer arrived as the boys woke up and Brynja took care of their morning meal and comforted them. Sigyn’s cries alarmed the boys, and not being allowed to see her made it worse. Brynja sent them off to practice with Sif later that morning.

The healer arrived shortly after being summoned and examined Sigyn while Thor looked on helplessly. The healer found nothing physically wrong with her, and couldn’t explain what was happening. “If Loki lives, as you claim,” she said to Thor, “it is possible the Sjalsfrande is still connecting their souls and minds from this great distance. If Loki is truly being mistreated somewhere, by somebody, then I can only conclude that Sigyn is as well…”

Thor looked concerned and reached down to stroke Sigyn’s cheek. “If she feels the effects of Loki’s torture, but shares not the physical effects, then how much worse must it be for Loki?”

The healer took a deep breath and shook her head. “I could not say, but I would guess that Loki fares much worse than whatever his wife is experiencing.”

After a while, the healer grew concerned for Sigyn’s well-being and gave her a draught to put her into an induced sleep. “We should move her to the healing rooms where we can monitor her more carefully,” she instructed. “I shall bring her out of the sleep each day to see if this eases. But in the meantime, you ought to look into finding someone to look after her sons. And make sure to monitor their behavior as well. Their souls are also connected to Loki’s, though to a smaller extent.”

Brynja, who had been sitting faithfully next to Sigyn, announced that she would remain at her mistress’s side to help with any of her needs. Thor wished he could care for the boys himself, but it was women’s work and he knew that Odin would never permit it. “I shall see if they can stay in Frigga’s care until Sigyn is well again,” he concluded after a lot of thought.

Frigga gladly accepted Nari and Vali into her care. “Thor, do you think this truly means that Loki lives?” she asked cautiously.

“I am confident he lives,” he replied. “Hela spoke the truth.”

Frigga closed her eyes for a moment and was silent. She smiled and when her eyes opened again, there were tears in them. “My son lives,” she whispered. “But he is in danger…”

“I shall do my best to find him and bring him home, mother,” Thor promised.

As Brynja faithfully attended to Sigyn’s needs and Thor devoted his time to finding Loki, Nari and Vali went to stay with Frigga and Odin. The boys were scared for their mother’s well-being, and missed their father, but did enjoy Frigga’s attention.

Several weeks passed, and Nari was disappointed that he was not excused from his schooling, but Frigga took over their education in Sigyn’s stead. She assigned him to write lines when he misbehaved, and he sulked when he was not allowed to work with Sif or the Warriors Three when she made him stay in to write his lines.

“Nari, you must learn discipline,” Frigga admonished as she sat by his side one afternoon. “As a prince of Asgard, you are held to higher standards. And if you intend to be a warrior, then you must learn to control yourself.”

Nari wriggled in his seat and kicked the chair legs. “I want to go outside!” he wailed with a frown. When Frigga refused to relent, he burst into tears and threw himself onto the floor. “I want to go outside!” he cried. “I hate reading and writing! I wish to ride my horse!”

Frigga frowned and shook her head. “My, my, such a tantrum for such a grown-up boy as yourself,” she chided. “You shame our family with your behavior.” She left Nari on the floor to continue crying for a couple minutes and returned when he had quieted down again. “Are you ready to finish your lines?” she asked calmly.

Nari sat up on the floor, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. “It is too hard, farmor,” he said sullenly. “The words get all jumbled up and I don’t understand them. I am too stupid for writing…”

Frigga knelt down on the floor and hugged Nari tightly. “You are not stupid, my son’s son. You just need help, that is all. Let us work together, all right?”

Nari nodded his head and took Frigga’s hand. She helped him to his feet and gave him two honey drops before they set to work on his lines together. It took a long time, but he finally finished and ran off to join Vali and Fandral for sword practice.

Vali returned later that evening with a bloody knee. He cried into Frigga’s apron while she tended to his cut. “It hurts!” he wailed. He sobbed for some time as she helped him.

“Vali, you must learn to embrace the pain,” Frigga instructed. “You are far too old to cry over such things. You are six years old, practically a man grown! And a prince of Asgard who must never show that he hurts to another person.”

When Vali bit his lip and controlled his breathing until his crying stopped, Frigga gave him two honey drops as a reward for his bravery. “There, my brave son’s son. Your cut is cleaned and bandaged and you are as good as new,” she said before kissing his cheeks. “Where is your brother? Supper will be soon and I was going to take you two to eat with your farbror in the dining hall tonight.”

Vali jumped down from the table he’d been sitting on, and shrugged his shoulders. “Fandral was displeased that Nari was not treating the swords respectfully so he made him stay and muck out the horse stalls as a punishment,” he replied. “And then Nari got into a fight with Rolfe and punched him in the cheek. Rolfe said cruel things about our far. Nari had to defend him. But Fandral still gave them both a thrashing anyway…It’s all right though, Rolfe apologized and they’re friends again.”

Frigga sighed and rolled her eyes. “That boy,” she muttered under her breath. “He needs a good dose of discipline. I shall speak to Odin about this tonight.” She instructed the servants to tell Nari to join her in the dining hall for supper when he arrived.

Vali strutted around the dining hall showing off his injured knee to anybody who would pay attention to him. Frigga allowed him the freedom to wander around as long as he was quiet, respectful, and didn’t get into anybody’s way. Hogun told him he was a strong warrior and gave him a biscuit for his bravery. Sif kissed Vali’s cheek, which made him blush furiously. He shared his biscuit with her before returning to Frigga’s side.

“Vali, you mustn’t eat only sweets tonight, you must eat your supper as well,” Frigga said while placing a plate of food in front of him. “If you wish to grow big and strong like Thor, you must eat plenty of good food.”

“Yes, farmor,” Vali said before settling in to eat his supper.

Nari arrived a short time later, and Frigga tutted at him while serving him his meal. “Nari, I do not ever want to hear that you have been disrespectful of your training masters or the weaponry. And getting into fights with your friends. I am very disappointed in you today,” she said quietly as he ate.

Nari ate standing up, because his backside was too sore to sit on the hard wood bench after the thrashing Fandral had given him. His shoulders slumped while he ate, and he only managed to eat half the food before pushing his plate away. “I’m not hungry,” he muttered.

Thor reached down and tussled his hair. “Today was a bad day for you, my brorson,” he said. “Tomorrow will be better.”

“Farmor, may we see mor tonight?” Nari asked as he walked back to Frigga’s chambers with Vali and their grandmother. “I wish to see her…”

“Yes, me too, farmor, I wish to see mor,” Vali said, looking hopefully at Frigga.

“We can stop by the healing rooms and see if she is awake,” Frigga said before leading them in the right direction.

Sigyn was awake and sitting up in her bed when they arrived. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. She looked to Frigga, like a person who had just begun to convalesce after a long illness. “Oh my sons!” she cried out when she saw her boys running towards her. “I have missed you so much!”

Nari and Vali climbed up into the bed next to their mother and she wrapped her arms around them. “Mor! Mor! We miss you so much,” they cried.

“How are you doing? Is Frigga taking good care of you?”

“Nari is misbehaving,” Vali tattled. “Frigga makes him write lines and Fandral makes him muck stalls and gave him a thrashing.”

“Nari, you must behave yourself,” Sigyn said quietly while cuddling him.

“But mor, I feel it inside me,” he said, pressing his face into her stomach. “I feel it.”

Sigyn sighed. “I feel it too, my son. Today was a bad day…”

Vali rested his chin on Sigyn’s arm. “I feel it too. It’s in all of my dreams and I can’t sleep.”

Frigga furrowed her brow and sat down in the chair next to the bed. “The boys are feeling the effects of Loki’s mistreatment?” she asked. “They do seem particularly out of sorts lately. I know they’ve been through a lot, but they’ve been quite out of control today…”

“Loki has been very anxious lately, and it must be seeping into the boys’ minds too.” She bent down and kissed the tops of her sons’ heads. “Why don’t you stay here tonight with me? Hopefully it will remain calm until morning at least.” The boys settled down into her arms and closed their eyes. “They’re exhausted…Frigga, I am sorry to put you through so much trouble caring for my boys in my absence. I will try to work on their behavior when I’m better…”

Frigga smiled sadly and bent down to kiss Sigyn’s forehead. “Do not worry about anything,” she replied quietly. “We’re all working on it together.”

That night, with the boys sleeping in the healing rooms, Frigga had time to discuss the matter at hand with Odin when he returned to their chambers. “The boys need more discipline, that much is clear to me, but they are also being affected by whatever is happening to Loki. It seems to me that it is beyond their control to stop how they behave…”

“Since Nari responds better to the training, perhaps until Sigyn is better, it would be best to excuse him from the schooling. Keeping him busy with physical exertion will put his mind at ease,” Odin suggested as he sat by the hearth relaxing. “And Vali might enjoy spending time with me in the throne room. He can help with the strategy against the Jotuns, like his father before him. It will be good practice for him.”

“I suppose their studies can wait a while,” Frigga conceded from her seat next to him. She was writing in a book about herblore for her apprentices, and set her quill down. “But Nari especially needs to work on his studies. He has troubles reading and writing and needs extra attention to learn how to understand it all properly. Vali I have no doubt will continue to do well with his studies, but he needs to toughen up. Crying over a skinned knee at his age…”

Odin nodded his head. “He is too sensitive,” he agreed. “I shall work with him when he visits the throne room and treat him like a man grown. I think that will do him wonders.”

The next morning, Sigyn was sad to let her sons go when Frigga arrived to pick them up. “Why don’t we break our fast in the dining halls today, my son’s sons?” she asked with a smile.

“I’m so hungry, farmor,” Nari replied as she took his hand in hers. “I could eat a whole bilgesnipe…”

“Ohh, a whole bilgesnipe, eh?” Frigga replied. “Those are rather gamey I believe…”

“I’m hungry too, farmor,” Vali added. “But I don’t want to eat a bilgesnipe. I want to eat sausages and toast.”

“Well, I’m sure there will be sausages and toast.”

Sigyn smiled to herself as she watched her boys traipse off for the day. She hoped Loki would fare better this day than he had the day before. “My darling, I am sending you all my love and strength today,” she sent out to him in her mind. “I miss you so much…”

“It is dark here,” Loki replied a few minutes later. “It’s so hot, and the air is full of sulfur and ash. Your voice is the light keeping me going…”

“Loki, my love, I know you did not intend to live,” Sigyn said, “But please live for me and the children. Please hold on and return to us.”

“I will try to find my way back, but I am so lost…”

“Just follow the sound of my voice and you’ll find me…”

Loki didn’t respond after that, but Sigyn remained lucid the entire day, for the first time in a few weeks. She was able to join her sons and Frigga in the dining hall that evening for supper and enjoyed talking with Thor and their friends.

“I am happy to see you back on your feet my dear,” Odin said in greeting. “You will be happy to know that Vali did very well helping me with strategies today and Nari excelled in his swordsmanship as well.”

“I am glad of that,” Sigyn replied. “My boys will do better when their father returns.”

Weeks passed and Sigyn had good moments and bad moments. Frigga and Odin continued to look after Vali and Nari as she recovered. Thor worked tirelessly to find his brother, but with no results.

Life moved on, painfully, slowly, and unhappily.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life begins to improve for Sigyn and the children, until Loki surfaces on Midgard. Thor is forced to go after him and bring him home. Loki convinces Thor to protect Sigyn and his sons from those who would harm them and Thor makes plans to hide them far from Asgard...

Many months passed and Sigyn began to improve vastly. She learned to keep her mind detached from Loki’s more, only visiting him once in a while to send him messages of love and support. His mind was once again growing very dark. The anxiety and pain was replaced with frantic need and desperation. Desperation for what, she could not tell.

Nari and Vali improved over time as well. Nari was the top of all his training classes. Odin and Thor were very proud of his talents in weaponry and horsemanship. Every weapon they had him try, he mastered in a short time. “If he was not so small, I would consider asking him to join the ranks,” Odin said to Sigyn one night at supper. “He will be a great asset to my army one day.”

“Oh, I am glad to hear his behavior is improving,” she replied while glancing down the table to look at Nari. He was sitting with Vali and Volstagg’s sons, eating and laughing. One of Volstagg’s daughters, Flosi, sat on one side of Nari, and tried to get his attention once in a while, but he purposely ignored her.

“And what about Vali? How does he fare in the throne room?” Sigyn asked Odin a moment later.

“Vali has a brilliant mind for strategy,” Odin replied. “Just today I sat him down with a map of Jotunheim, hoping to keep him occupied for the day. I told him to memorize it. Before the midday meal, I asked him if he had made any progress, and he proceeded to point out four different pathways for our troops to go through that I had not even considered. His reasoning was sound and I had to take it into account when making my final decision…To be that astute at that young an age…He truly is his father’s son.”

Sigyn’s heart swelled with pride to hear this. With a smile on her face, she looked back down at her children. Vali was chatting with Alaric, the eldest of Volstagg’s sons. Alaric was at least ten years old, but Vali was clearly advanced for his age, and Sigyn was not surprised that he fit in well with older children. She looked at Nari, and frowned. She was too far away to stop what she saw him doing, and stood up to walk towards him.

Nari had fished out a small lizard from his pocket and was poised to drop it down the back of Flosi’s tunic. Flosi was currently turned away from him, talking with her sisters and didn’t notice Nari slip the lizard down her back. Flosi began to squirm in her seat before squealing and jumping up. She hopped around for a few seconds before the lizard slipped out and fell to the floor. Flosi frowned and turned to look at a now-laughing Nari. “Ooh!” she cried before punching Nari on the arm so hard he fell forward into his plate of food. “Stop it Nari! That was mean!”

Nari was still laughing even though his face was covered in his supper. He pointed at her and slapped the table with one hand. “You looked like a dancing girl the way you were hopping about!”

“Nari Lokison! Do not treat maidens so disrespectfully! I am appalled at your behavior!” Sigyn had finally reached the other end of the table and stood in front of her son, hands on her hips, and a deep frown on her face. “Aww, mor, she’s not a maiden, she’s just Flosi,” Nari replied with a shrug. Sigyn reached down, grabbed a towel from the table, and wiped her son’s face clean. “You will spend the rest of the meal sitting with me and thinking about why you should be nicer to people,” she said before taking Nari’s ear and pulling him after her.

“Ow! Mor! Ow!” Nari cried while trotting behind Sigyn.

“Remember this the next time you want to be mean to somebody,” Sigyn admonished.

From the other end of the table, Thor and Frigga looked on. Frigga sighed and shook her head. “Does that bring back memories, my son?” she asked with a nostalgic smile.

Thor reached up and grabbed his ear. “Yes it does,” he replied with a nod of his head. “He definitely takes after me…”

“Perhaps you could mentor him one day. He needs all the guidance he can get,” Frigga said before Nari sat down next to her.

Thor looked over at his brorson and tussled his hair. “Nari, I am about to begin work on rebuilding the Bifrost,” he said as Nari settled onto the bench. “Would you like to help me?”

Nari’s eyes grew wide and he turned to Sigyn. “May I mor?” he asked hopefully.

Sigyn nodded her head. “You may, if you apologize to Flosi and make an effort to treat people kindly. Believe me, my son, people will remember your actions even as a child. You do not want to be remembered as a bully.”

Nari sighed and nodded his head. “Yes mor,” he replied before standing up. “I shall apologize right now.” Squaring his shoulders and holding his head up high, he marched back to the other end of the table.

Sigyn, Thor, and Frigga watched as Nari held his hand out to shake Flosi’s. He bowed to her a moment later and Flosi smiled at him. Before Nari could take his leave, Flosi leaned in and boldly kissed his cheek. She giggled and sat down with her sisters, who were also giggling. Nari’s face turned bright red and he hurried back down to the other end of the table. The three adults busied themselves with their suppers as Nari rejoined them. He seemed dazed.

Thor waved an almond pastry in front of his brorson’s face. Nari sighed and grabbed it, placing it down on the table. He reached up and brushed his fingers against his cheek. “It was that good, eh?” Thor asked knowingly. Nari sighed again and nodded his head. Sigyn noticed this and gave him a quick hug. “Why don’t you go share your pastry with Flosi?” she suggested. “I bet she’ll like that.”

Nari picked up the pastry and quietly joined Flosi. He split the sweet in half and handed one of the pieces to her. She smiled and took it graciously. Within moments they were eating and talking together.

Volstagg, who had observed the entire meal’s events, turned to Sigyn and smiled. “Well, it appears that you and I might have a marriage contract to form one day,” he joked. “

Yes, they do seem quite affectionate towards one another,” Sigyn remarked. “But they are far too young for any of that just yet…”

“I am not so sure,” Thor added. “You were only a couple years older than they are when you met my brother…”

“That afternoon in the forge,” Sigyn recalled with a smile. “I remember you were quite like my Nari. I can only hope that he too will grow out of his bullying.”

“I am certain he will.”

That night as Sigyn put the boys to bed, and told them a story about magic trees that could talk and dance, Nari confided in her. “Mor,” he whispered as she gave him a hug, “Flosi says she likes me the most and says she will help me with reading if I wish her to. She would be a good help, because she’s a whole year older than me. But I don’t mind that she’s an older woman.”

Sigyn kissed her son’s forehead. “I’m glad she’ll help you with your reading, my son,” she replied before moving over to Vali’s bed to tuck him in. “Odin told me tonight that you impressed him today. I am very proud of you,” she said while tucking the bedclothes in around him.

Vali yawned and nodded his head. “One day maybe I’ll be an advisor,” he replied.

Sigyn smiled. “That would be a wonderful achievement,” she replied before kissing his forehead.

After the boys were asleep, she returned to the living space and settled into the seat by the hearth. As she knitted a blanket for Nari’s bed, she sent out a message to Loki. “Oh my husband, you would have been so proud of your sons today. They are growing so well and thriving so much. I wish you were here to experience it with me.”

As she drifted off to sleep later that night, his response came. “I am more proud than you’ll ever know, my love.”

(SCENE)

Sigyn didn’t sense Loki after that night. She couldn’t connect with his mind or soul, and felt that something was terribly wrong. “I know he still lives, but he is completely cut off from me,” she told Thor one morning. He and Nari had been busy working on the Bifrost for the past several weeks and were making good progress.

Thor furrowed his brow. “My searches are still fruitless. I still cannot tell where he is. Let us hope that when the Bifrost is complete, it will aid in the search.”

But the Bifrost was not necessary for that, for Heimdall, at long last, found Loki while out on his usual watch over the Nine Realms. He summoned Odin, and he, as well as Thor and Sigyn, rushed to Heimdall’s new station.

“He has surfaced, Allfather,” Heimdall declared. “In Midgard, of all places.”

“Midgard? What is he doing there?” Thor asked, looking puzzled.

“Nothing good, from what I can see,” Heimdall replied.

“I still cannot sense him,” Sigyn replied, feeling frustrated. “It’s like he’s been completely cut off from me.”

Odin ignored her comment and spoke to Heimdall. “What is Loki doing there?” he asked, frowning and folding his arms.

Heimdall turned back to observe for a minute before replying. “He has caused the collapse of a large structure that has resulted in many Midgardian deaths. The Midgardians have declared war on him.”

“War?” Thor gasped. “Allfather, we must get him!”

Odin paced the floor of Heimdall’s station, thinking. Sigyn embraced Thor and together, they waited in silence for his response. They both knew better than to interrupt him.

Finally, Odin turned to look at Thor. “It will take nearly all my powers, and those of Frigga, to send you to Midgard. You must seek out your brother and bring him back here where he will stand trial for his crimes, both here and on Midgard.”

“Perhaps I should go with Thor,” Sigyn suggested.

Odin shook his head. “There isn’t enough power for you both,” he replied. “Besides, you are a woman and your place is with your children.”

Sigyn sighed and nodded her head. “I just wish to see him so badly,” she replied wistfully. “It has been nearly a year since he fell…”

Odin’s frown deepened. “Even when he has returned here, the punishment for his crimes will likely be a life sentence in the prisons. You will not be permitted to see him.”

“But…”

“Did you think that he would return and life would go about as usual? That there would be no consequences to his actions?”

Sigyn felt helpless as Odin peered down at her. She had never thought about what would happen when Loki returned. “I just wish to see him. Why must _I_ be punished for his wrongdoings?”

“I am sorry that you and the boys will suffer the most,” Odin replied, “but I cannot grant leniency to Loki for this just because it will be difficult for you. He cannot be given special treatment. Especially not from me. That would be viewed as favoring him.”

Sigyn began to weep and Thor hugged her again. “Fear not, little Sigyn,” he said quietly. “I am sure you will be permitted to see your husband again, in time.”

The next few days passed quickly, with Thor preparing to go to Midgard to find Loki and bring him home. Sigyn did her best to stay occupied with the boys’ schooling. She found herself in Heimdall’s station with every chance she got. Loki was wreaking havoc everywhere he went, and according to Heimdall, he was enjoying every second of it. “He appears to be joyful over the misery he is creating. Perhaps he enjoys feeling powerful over others.”

“I still can’t feel him,” Sigyn murmured. “I just don’t understand how that can be…”

Heimdall frowned and continued to gaze at Midgard. “If he has never been able to block your connection before, perhaps the question is not what is he doing to block it, but, what is being done to him to block it,” he said, furrowing his brow. “He does seem…changed, somehow. Far more confident than he used to be.”

Sigyn folded her arms and frowned. “I hope Thor finds him quickly,” she replied.

“Thor will have competition, I’m afraid,” Heimdall said. “The organization at the building that collapsed is amassing a group of people to combat against Loki.”

“But they are just Midgardians,” Sigyn said. “Hardly a match for Thor and Loki, I should expect.”

“We shall see,” Heimdall replied.

Thor was prepared to depart for Midgard the next morning. Frigga and Odin both waited in the throne room for him, along with Sigyyn, Nari, and Vali. Thor had put on his full combat clothing, and wielded Mjolnir in one hand. He was tall and very imposing. Sigyn hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Be safe,” she said. “And bring my husband back in one piece!”

“I will do my best, my sister,” Thor replied before returning the kiss.

Next, he knelt down in front of the boys, and opened his arms to them. “I will miss you,” he said as they hugged him.

“I’ll miss you too,” Nari replied. “I’ll work on the Bifrost for you while you’re gone.”

“You do that,” Thor replied with a tussle of Nari’s hair.

“Bring my far home, please,” Vali implored. “I miss him so…”

“I miss him terribly as well,” Thor replied.

When all the farewells had been said, Thor stood up and walked over to his parents. Frigga and Odin joined hands around Thor and closed their eyes. Sigyn and the children watched as a white light slowly enveloped Thor and he suddenly disappeared with a flash. Odin and Frigga’s hands parted and they both fell to the floor. Sigyn cried out and ran over to Frigga while the boys hurried over to Odin’s side.

“Frigga, are you well?” Sigyn asked while reaching down to help the older woman sit up. She smoothed Frigga’s hair and placed her hands on her cheeks and forehead as though checking for a fever.

“Yes my child, I am well,” Frigga replied as she tried to stand up. “It was merely the force of the energy that knocked us over.”

Nari tugged on Odin’s hand as the older man stood up. “Good! We thought you’d fallen back into the Odin Sleep.”

“If you had, who would be king now? Far and farbror are both gone,” Vali wondered.

“You, my son’s son,” Odin said before tussling Vali’s hair.

“But I’m eldest!” Nari whined.

“But I’m smartest,” Vali bragged.

“Enough boys, don’t pester the Allfather,” Sigyn jumped in. “He’s just done something very important for us and you’re being very disrespectful. Now, thank Frigga and the Allfather and let us go work on your schooling.”

Vali and Nari thanked their grandparents before trailing behind Sigyn as she left the throne room. “But mor, I can’t do schooling, I promised farbror I would work on the Bifrost,” Nari moaned.

“Schooling first, then you may work on the Bifrost,” Sigyn replied.

The next week passed painfully slowly for Sigyn. Her attention was divided between her children and worrying about Loki. When the boys were done with schooling for the day, and working on training or the Bifrost rebuild, or aiding Odin with war planning, she would spend her time with Heimdall, making him tell her all that was transpiring on Midgard.

“Has Thor found him yet?” she asked nervously one morning.

“Yes, he has located Loki, and they are discussing matters. Thor is trying to convince Loki to return home,” Heimdall replied, his brow furrowing. “Loki has done many despicable things thus far, and has been apprehended by the people amassed to subdue him. Thor has removed him from those people, but they are in pursuit.”

“I hope they don’t hurt him,” Sigyn replied with a frown.

“That is not their way, I believe,” Heimdall reassured her. “Not if they can help it.”

Sigyn didn’t sleep at night and found her appetite waning as the days went on with not seeing Thor return with Loki. She herself acting testily around the children, something she was not proud of.

After snapping at Vali for leaving his clothes on the floor of the washing chamber, Sigyn sat down at the breakfast table and rested her head in her arms for a moment. “Mor is sorry she’s been so cross with you,” she said to the boys while they stood in front of her. “I shall try to do better from now on.”

Vali reached out and placed his small hand on hers. “We miss far too,” he said quietly.

As the next week passed, Heimdall filled Sigyn in on the grim revelations as they unfolded. Thor had joined with the group of Midgardians to try and stop Loki, who had managed to escape his prison. Sometimes she thought Heimdall was telling her a censored version of events, but had not the nerve to ask. What he told her was bad enough. There was a group of imposing men and women who had assembled and he did not tell her much about them other than vague descriptions.

On the last day, Heimdall told her of the attack Loki had unleashed upon a city in Midgard that had resulted in a terrible battle between an alien group outside the Nine Realms, and the Midgardians who had teamed up to battle Loki. The battle had been long and hard, but Loki lost. He had finally been subdued.

“So Thor will bring him home now?” Sigyn asked, feeling relieved that Loki was still alive.

“Soon, I’d imagine,” Heimdall replied. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, if you would be so kind as to alert the Allfather that I need to speak with him in private, I would appreciate that. We have many matters to discuss.”

Knowing she’d been dismissed, Sigyn nodded her head and left to summon Odin. Perhaps Odin would hear the uncensored version of Loki’s misdeeds. Maybe what had really happened was too much for a woman’s ears. These were matters for men only to discuss, clearly. Odin appeared to be in agreement, for he did not invite her, or Frigga, to join him when he left to speak with Heimdall.

Sigyn joined Frigga for the midday meal and spoke in hushed whispers about Loki’s return. “I cannot wait to see him!” she declared.

Frigga looked at her sadly. “My dear, the Allfather was correct when he said that Loki will not return to life as usual. He will be sent to the prisons and neither you nor the children will be permitted to see him. You must prepare yourself, and the boys, for this.”

Sigyn’s eyes filled with tears. “But he does not mean the things he does,” she stammered.

Frigga shook her head. “It does not matter. He still must atone for what he has done.”

Sigyn’s tears turned into sobs and after a minute, she ran out of the dining halls, back to the privacy of her sleeping chambers, to grieve for her loss. If Frigga said it was so, then it was so. Sigyn could no longer deny it. What little was left of her happiness in life, dissipated in that moment.

(SCENE)

In Stark Tower, Thor sullenly prepared Loki to return to Asgard. He had fought long and with good men and women against his own brother, and he was exhausted. He tied chains around Loki’s neck, hands, and feet so he could not escape, but that did not stop Loki from hurling strings of verbal abuse at him. His words were poisonous and he spoke as one possessed by anger and hatred.

Every once in a while, though, he would say something more coherent. “Brother!” he cried out to Thor upon Thor’s return from a celebratory feast with the Midgardian allies he had fought with. “Brother, they’re going to come after me! They will hurt Sigyn and the boys. They will come to Asgard and they will hurt them. You must protect them, brother. I promised the Tesseract and cannot deliver it. They will come collecting…”

Thor folded his arms and glared at Loki. “What makes you think I care?” he asked coldly.

Loki’s gazed pierced his brother’s eyes. “You care _very_ much for Sigyn,” he replied coolly. When Thor’s look faltered, he continued. “I know you enjoyed her pleasures. You took advantage of her when she was vulnerable. You’ve been wracked with guilt ever since, have you not?” Thor looked at the ground and didn’t respond. “I am within my rights as her husband to kill you, you know. But I will be willing to overlook it—your weakness, and hers, if you protect her and my children. And I might even forget to mention anything if I ever get the honor of meeting your Midgardian woman…Midgardians have a different attitude about such matters, do they not?”

Thor’s face grew dark with anger and he stood up without responding. He looked around until he found the muzzle that had been delivered to him to keep Loki’s “silver tongue” from causing too many problems. “No more of your words, brother,” he growled as he walked over and slipped it over Loki’s face. Loki struggled as best he could, though he was already chained, and could not do much against him. They sat in silence after that.

Thor thought about Loki’s accusations. He had done his best to forget that night with Sigyn. It had been wrong of them, but he had very much enjoyed lying with her. He had toyed with the idea of marrying her and being her husband, a father to her sons, and giving her more sons of his own. Loki didn’t deserve a woman as sweet as Sigyn, not anymore at least. She deserved to be treated kindly, as Loki had done when they’d first been wedded. But when Thor’s lust had been slaked, he was able to see things more clearly, and knew that it would never work for him to marry Sigyn. He loved Jane Foster, and wished to be with her only. And so, he’d set aside his thoughts on marrying Sigyn, and returned to thinking of her only as a friend and sister.

Until the appointed departure time, Thor thought about Loki’s words. Would the people he’d worked with truly come after him? If they couldn’t get the Tesseract, would they attempt to exact their price on Sigyn and the boys? As the Jotuns had proved, Asgard was not completely impenetrable as they’d always thought. But what to do with Sigyn and the children? How best to keep them safe? He could not be with them every minute of the day.

As he and Loki slowly walked towards the departure spot, he continued to think. Midgard was a smaller, more vulnerable place than Asgard, but it was also well protected. His allies had proven that. If the people Loki had conspired with came to collect, they wouldn’t think to look on Midgard. This was a safer place for them. Thor’s mind was made up when he and Loki each took a hold of the Tesseract and its power fueled their return trip to Asgard. It only took a few minutes before they arrived.

Immediately upon return, Loki was presented to Odin and the two made no show of affection for one another before Odin sentenced him to life in prison. Frigga watched silently and helplessly as it was announced she would never be able to see him again. Sigyn and the children were withheld from him as well and he did not even see them before being taken to the prisons. He reached out with his mind, for he could feel the influence of the Other wearing off. “Sigyn, my Sjalsfrande. I am here,” he called out to her.

“Loki! My love, I can feel you again!” came her immediate response.

Loki sighed as he sat down in his prison cell. “I have missed you.”

“I wish to see you!”

“I do not want you or the boys to see me this way…”

“But I have not seen you in a year, my love. I must see you!”

“No my dear, it must be this way…”

“So I am never to see you again? For the rest of our lives, we must live apart and never to see one another? Perhaps Odin was right in declaring me your widow…”

Loki didn’t respond after that, and broke off his contact with her. He sat down on the floor of his cell, rested his head against the wall, and looked through the glass keeping him inside. Would he ever get out again? Would he ever see his wife and children again? He only wanted to see them if they could be proud of him. There was nothing to be proud of in his life currently. He sat there, steeped in shame, and tried not to think about his family, but hoped that they would be safe soon.

Sigyn cried herself to sleep that night. To be so close to her husband, yet unable to see him hurt terribly. The next day, she was unable to even speak with Thor about Loki, because he was busy keeping council with Odin. Vali was not allowed to participate, so she worked on schooling and magic training with him. It helped keep her distracted.

Two days after Loki had returned to Asgard, Thor finally came to visit Sigyn. She hugged him tightly and kissed him several times. “Thank you for returning my husband home safely,” she said with a sad smile. “Even though I cannot see him now, perhaps in time I can convince the Allfather to allow me to visit Loki one day.”

“You are most welcome, my sister,” Thor replied seriously. “I have come in hopes that I might speak with you privately.” He looked over at the table where Nari and Vali were studying. “Perhaps we can speak in your sleeping chambers?”

Sigyn felt a chill roll through her as she glanced at her sons. “Brynja, will you mind the children while I have a word with Thor?” When Brynja nodded, Sigyn turned and led Thor into her sleeping chambers. Her heart was pounding by the time they arrived. In her heart, she knew she was about to receive terrible news.

“What is wrong?” she asked, her voice steady.

“Loki expressed a concern for your wellbeing when we prepared to return home,” Thor explained. “He fears that those he conspired with to get the Tesseract may intend to harm you or the children in vengeance for not getting what they were promised. I have discussed it with the Allfather, and we are in agreement that it would be best to move you and the boys out of Asgard for a while to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

Sigyn sat down on the bed and tried to breathe deeply. How could this possibly be? Leave Asgard just when her husband had returned? “Where…where would we go?” she asked quietly.

“Midgard,” Thor replied just as quietly.

“Midgard? But…”

“Midgard would be the last place they’d think to look. It is the safest place for you right now.”

“But I do not know anybody in Midgard…Where would we stay?”

“But I do,” Thor replied. “I have crafted a letter, and the Allfather has translated it into the Midgardians’ language. There was a good man who was in charge of the team of people I worked with, and I am going to send you to him. He shall make sure you and the boys are protected.”

“When will we go?”

“In the morning. You can spend the rest of today packing,” Thor replied. “And Brynja may come with you if you wish. We have the Tesseract now, and can use it to send all of you there.”

Sigyn shook her head slowly and tried to take everything in. It was all happening so suddenly. “How long do you think we’ll be gone? What is the weather like there? What should I pack? How much should I pack? There isn’t enough time!”

“Midgard has seasons just like we do, and they are currently entering their vernal season. You will be gone until we deem it safe for you to return, so you will be gone several months at the least. You will have to procure clothing befitting a Midgardian, however, so do not pack too much clothing, perhaps mostly night clothes and undergarments. Also pack anything you wish to keep the boys occupied and entertained. Lesson books, toys, reading books, things like that will be good for them. You can continue their schooling there as well.”

Sigyn nodded her head and stood up from the bed. “I must speak with Brynja and the boys now. They will need to help pack.”

“I will help you explain it to them.”

Nari and Vali were very excited at the prospect of going on an adventure. “I wish to meet the Man of Iron you told us about,” Nari cried, jumping up and down.

“I wish to meet the Captain of America,” Vali added. “I want to look at his shield. I want a shield like that one day.”

Thor had regaled the boys with tales of his Midgardian adventures over the last couple of days. They had clung to his every word.

“Is the spider woman as beautiful as you claim her to be?” Nari asked. “Maybe we shall see her too.”

“Yes, the Black Widow is quite a beauty,” Thor assured them.

Nari grinned and began to run around the room, shouting and hopping in his unbridled excitement.

“All right boys, settle down,” Sigyn called out to them. “Go to your room and begin to set out the items you’d like to bring with you. We will be gone for some time, so remember that.”

Brynja insisted on joining them for the trip, and together, she and Sigyn set about packing up their lives after Thor took his leave. It took many hours, but finally they had several trunks filled with their belongings.

The last supper in Asgard was spent in the dining hall, saying their farewells to friends and family. Sigyn talked to Kjell about what was happening, and he agreed it was for the best for them to leave. “You will be back before you know it, my daughter,” he said as he hugged her fiercely. “But I shall miss you and the boys very much.”

Frigga embraced Sigyn and the boys and smiled at them. “You will enjoy your time on Midgard, I am sure of it,” she said. “And when you return we will have a grand feast in your honor. I will miss you, my son’s sons.” She knelt down and gave them both hugs and kisses. “I will keep a count of the days until you return to me.”

Sigyn also said her farewells to the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Thor had informed them of what was to happen. “I shall miss you all,” she said to them. “You have helped me through a lot in this past year and I and my children are indebted to you.” They all took turns hugging each other and Sigyn ignored it when Fandral hugged her too tightly and for too long, and pressed his hands to her backside.

“Hopefully the boys will be able to continue their weapons training on Midgard, but if not, we shall pick up where we left off upon their return,” Hogun assured her.

Odin was not the type of man who hugged people, but he indulged himself when it came to his grandsons. He hugged both of them and petted Sigyn’s hand. “This is for the best,” he said. “We will look forward to your return.”

“Loki, my love, tomorrow I leave with the children to go into hiding,” Sigyn called out to her husband that night as she lay in her bed.

“My heart soars with happiness to hear this,” he replied. “You will be safe now.”

“But I shall miss being close to you again.”

“We will be able to speak still. Our hearts and souls are always connected. My love, do not miss me while you are gone. Spend your time and energy on our children. They deserve it.”

“I wish you could go with us…”

“It is not meant to be, my Sjalsfrande.”

It took her a long time to fall asleep that night, but Sigyn managed to awake early the next morning to get the boys ready for the day. Brynja was tidying up their chambers and feeding the boys their breakfast. Sigyn gave instructions to the other servants. At the time they were to leave, Sigyn, the children, and Brynja walked to Odin’s throne room. Servants brought the trunks for them, setting them on the floor next to the group of soon-to-be travelers.

Odin handed Sigyn an envelope with his seal on it. “Thor has already told you what Director Fury looks like. You must seek him out and give this to him. He will see to it that you are cared for,” he instructed.

Thor had described Director Fury as a cross between Heimdall and Odin. “I shall give it to none other but him,” she vowed.

Thor hugged all of them one last time before using the Tesseract to begin the transportation process. Sigyn took hold of her sons’ hands and held tightly to them. She closed her eyes as a bright light enveloped them. A loud rushing noise filled their ears and lasted for several minutes, until all went silent and the light dissipated. Sigyn took a deep breath and felt solid ground beneath her feet once again. With another deep breath, she opened her eyes.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn and her sons have arrived on Midgard. What sort of greeting will they receive? What will live on Earth be like for them...Starring special guest stars Nick Fury and Natasha Romanov!

Sigyn and the others had been transported into a building of some sort. The inner walls were made of glass, and the floor and ceiling were black. It felt like a box they were trapped in. All around her were Midgardians in dark colored clothing. They looked important and imposing and judging by the shocked looks on their faces, not expecting arrivals. One Midgardian male pulled a small weapon out of his pocket and pointed it at her. “Intruders!” he cried.

Sigyn gasped, let go of her sons’ hands, and unsheathed her dagger. She pointed it at the man while with her other hand, she did her best to shield her children from him. “Director Nick Fury! I must see Director Nick Fury!” she cried.

The man pointing the weapon called out to somebody, “I have an armed woman, two children, and an unarmed woman who just appeared, sir. What should I do?” The man seemed to receive instructions through means Sigyn could not fathom, for he nodded his head and brandished his weapon at her. “Put the weapon down, ma’am,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Nari, seeing his mother endangered, pulled out his sax and pointed it at the man. “Don’t you hurt my mor!” he screamed.

Sigyn reached down and grabbed him before he could lunge at the man. “No, Nari!” she cried, turning and handing him over to Brynja, who already had an arm protectively around Vali. It was time to take control of the situation. She replaced her dagger in its sheath and held up her hands to show she was not a threat. “I am Sigyn Kjellsdottir of Asgard. I mean you no harm. I have been instructed by Odin Allfather to give this,” she held out her envelope, “to Director Nick Fury. We are in need of his assistance.”

The man carefully reached out and took the envelope from her. He examined it, but did not break the seal. He took out a device and began to speak into it. “You’d better get Fury down here,” he said.

Sigyn walked over to where the children stood, and wrapped her arms around them. She took a deep breath and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. “We will be safe soon,” she whispered. She watched as the other Midgardians in the hallway began to resume their business, but the man who had spoken to her, remained until another man, larger and far more imposing, approached them.

The man was tall, with dark brown skin, and an eye patch over one eye. He was exactly as Thor described him—a cross between Heimdall and Odin. In spite of the aggressive energy he exuded and the imposing black leather clothing he wore, she immediately felt safe in his presence.

When the man came to a stop a foot or so away from Sigyn, he looked carefully at her and sneered. “What the hell is going on?” he cried. “How the hell did you get this far into the building without passing through security? This is a level six floor!”

Sigyn blinked innocently at him and held out her envelope. “You are Director Nick Fury?” When the man’s scowl deepened, she took that as an affirmative. “I was instructed by the Allfather to deliver this to you.”

Director Fury ripped the envelope out of her hands and broke open the seal. He sighed as he read it, shaking his head and muttering to himself. “You’re _whose_ husband?” he cried at one point in time. “Thor has got some nerve…” he said upon finishing the letter.

Fury folded his arms and glared at Sigyn for a moment. “You are Loki’s wife, and these are his children?” he finally asked.

“I am Sigyn Kjellsdottir,” Sigyn replied with a nod of her head. “Loki is my husband, yes. And these are our sons, Nari and Vali Lokison. And this is Brynja, my faithful handmaiden.”

Nari boldly stepped forward and looked up at the Director. “I wish to see the Man of Iron my farbror spoke of,” he said.

“Nari, hush!” Vali hissed at him before looking up at the Director with wide, terrified eyes.

The Director looked down at Nari carefully. He frowned. “You resemble your father,” he remarked. With another sigh, he turned his back on them and walked a few paces away from them. “I do _not_ have time for this today!”

“I apologize for the trouble we have caused,” Sigyn replied, her stomach falling and her heart pounding. “Perhaps if you could direct us on how to leave this building, we can do our best on our own here in Midgard.”

“You are in New York City! You would not last five minutes out there on your own,” Fury replied. “I just…need some time to think. Let me find somebody to look after you for a while until I can make some calls.” He took out the same type of device the other man had used, and began to communicate with somebody.

A couple minutes later, a red-haired woman who looked like she was rather abrupt, approached them. “Agent Romanov,” Director Fury said in greeting. He pulled her aside for a few minutes to discuss matters with her before walking away from the group.

Agent Romanov walked back over to them and smiled politely. “My name is Natasha, Fury told me you’ll be saying here for a while. He asked me to look out for you until he’s made the proper arrangements for long-term protection.”

Nari looked up at her, his mouth agape. “Are you the spider woman my farbror spoke of?” he asked.

“My code name is ‘Black Widow’,” she confirmed. “‘Far-bror’…you must mean Thor.”

“Yes, Thor is his name!”

Vali looked at her, unable to keep his eyes off of her. “Your beauty is unmatched, my lady,” he said before bowing to her. When he straightened up again, he reached out, took her hand in his, and kissed it.

“Oh…my…well…” Natasha said with a small smile. “Why don’t we move your trunks out of the hallway so people can get by,” she suggested.

Brynja and Sigyn each picked up a trunk, and smiled at Natasha who looked incredulously at them. She directed them to place the trunks along a wall, out of the way. When they had moved everything, Sigyn turned expectantly to Natasha. “What shall we do next?” she asked.

Natasha guided the group outside the building and across the street to a stand where a man was selling food. She bought everybody one of the sausages nestled in a soft roll and showed them how to top it with a curious yellow sauce and an assortment of vegetables. She also purchased small bags of crisply-fried potato slices to accompany the sausages. It was like nothing the Asgardians had ever eaten before.

“This sausage is so tender,” Sigyn declared after her first bite.

“It is delicious,” Brynja added approvingly.

The women ate three apiece and the boys ate two, before they declared themselves full. “I shall always remember this as my first Midgardian meal,” Sigyn remarked as they looked around at their surroundings. She noticed people were staring at them and looked down at her clothes. She realized just how differently she was dressed. Her pale green tunic definitely didn’t look at all like the outfits the men and women wore. “Thor said we would need Midgardian clothing when we were here. I can see that your people dress very differently from ours.”

“Once you get settled in, we’ll make sure you will get clothes to fit in better,” Natasha assured her.

They returned to the building and she gave them a tour of the areas that would not be a breach of security. At one point in time, Nari began to hop back and forth and pulled Sigyn down to whisper into her ear. After a moment, Sigyn straightened up again.

“Natasha, my son needs to relieve himself…”

“Oh, yes,” Natasha said, looking around before leading them towards a room at the end of the hall. Both boys hopped along behind her, and she held the door open for them when they arrived. “This is the men’s room. Do you need to go too?” she asked the women, pointing to the room next door.

“Yes, but will they be all right alone in there?” Sigyn asked, worried for her children’s safety.

“This is a very secure building,” Natasha reassured her. “I will stay here while you go.”

Sigyn considered this. Natasha was a woman trusted by Director Fury. She had been one of Thor’s comrades in the recent battle. She could trust her. With a nod, she entered into the washroom designated for women, followed behind by Brynja.

The washroom was devoid of any ornamentation, and had small rooms separated by doors inside it, where they found the chamber pots. The concept was basically the same as she was used to on Asgard and they didn’t find it too difficult to utilize. She hoped the boys were faring as well.

The sink was a similar concept as well, though the hand-drying contraption was unlike anything she had ever encountered. She studied the drawing on the machine and waved her hands under the tube jutting out from the bottom. It activated with a loud whirring noise, and began to blow warm air out onto her waiting hands. She cried out in surprise. “Brynja, you must come see this!”

Brynja rushed over and bent down to observe her mistress’ hands drying. “It is a marvel!” she declared before placing one of her own hands underneath it. “It is so warm! I wonder how they do it.”

“Perhaps it is magic,” Sigyn suggested as she removed her hands from under the machine. It turned off a moment later. “It can tell when you’re finished! Midgard is the most interesting place!”

The boys returned from their trip to the “restroom” as Natasha had called it, at the same time as Brynja and Sigyn. “Mor, it was so much fun!” Nari cried. “The air machine dried my hands!”

“I know, my son, it is truly amazing,” Sigyn replied happily. “Thor didn’t tell us about those.”

“What other wonders can you show us?” Vali asked Natasha.

Natasha thought for a moment. “How about a vending machine?” she replied.

Vali gasped. “A vending machine…what does it do?”

“It dispenses food.”

Vali’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped open. “Mor! There is a machine that dispenses food!” he cried. “Will you show us now?” He grabbed Natasha’s hand and looked at her expectantly.

Natasha chuckled and smiled. “Yes, follow me,” she replied. Vali walked alongside her, and Nari quickly joined her, taking her other hand. Sigyn and Brynja walked behind them.

At the end of a hallway, they entered into a small room that looked like a miniature version of their dining hall. There were small tables and chairs set up all around the room and along the far wall was a row of machines that held various kinds of Midgardian foods and beverages. Natasha showed them how to put money into the machine and pressed a couple of buttons. The boys watched curiously as the food items dropped to the bottom of the machine. Next, she showed them how to reach in and grab their treats when they were ready.

“Mor, look!” Nari cried, holding up his bag to show her. “What is it?”

Sigyn looked at the package and frowned. “I do not know,” she admitted. “I cannot read Midgardian words.”

Natasha read the labels for them. “Nari, yours is called ‘Bugles’ and Vali, you have “Cheez-its’,” she said. She opened the bags and handed them to the boys.

Each boy dutifully held up his bag to Sigyn so she could try them first. Sigyn reached in and grabbed one from each bag. She tried them one at a time. “They are delicious! Eat up, my sons,” she replied a moment later. The boys politely gave one each to Brynja before beginning to eat. They made quick work of their snacks and declared themselves very impressed with them.

Natasha continued the tour of the room and Sigyn marveled at each new item. “A machine that cleans the dishes for you? I have never heard of such a thing!” “A box that heats foods up! Oh my!” But the highlight for the group of visitors, was the coffeemaker. Natasha demonstrated how it worked, and when she handed cups of freshly brewed coffee to Sigyn and Brynja, they sipped at them carefully before setting them down and applauding Natasha.

“You Midgardians have such amazing devices to aid in your daily lives. I shall never tire of learning about them.” Sigyn smiled and shook her head. “With all these devices, you must be able to prepare delicious meals for your husband every day.”

“Well, I am not married…” Natasha replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

“You are unwed?” Sigyn asked with a gasp. “Midgardians live for such a brief time. You should not wait much longer…”

Natasha frowned. “On Midgard, not all women want to be married,” she informed them. “That is not considered a bad thing here.”

Sigyn thought about this for a moment. “You are like the Lady Sif,” she concluded a moment later.

“Who?”

“The Lady Sif is my friend. She is Thor’s friend as well, and joins him and the Warriors Three in battle. She too is unwed.”

Natasha looked at Sigyn closely before speaking. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old were you when you married Loki?” she asked quietly.

“Loki and I were both about a thousand years old when we were wedded,” Sigyn replied with a smile. She reached out and petted her sons’ faces. “And the boys were born later that same year.”

Natasha’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. “A thousand years?” she stammered.

Sigyn nodded in agreement. “I know, we were very young, but we were also very much in love, and because of that, our fathers consented to the union. I had been betrothed to one of the Allfather’s warriors, but the marriage contract was dissolved so I could be wedded to Loki.”

Natasha shook her head. “I just cannot imagine Loki being married, and a father…Or a thousand years old…”

Sigyn’s smile faded. “Loki was not always as he is now,” she replied. “He was a kind, tender husband and father. He has been changed. He is very angry now.”

“What happened to him?”

Sigyn took a deep breath and shook her head. “That is not for me to divulge,” she replied. “Loki has done despicable things, but he is still entitled to his secrets.”

Natasha held up her hands. “I apologize for prying,” she said. Before she could say anything else, a ringing noise came from her pocket. She reached inside, pulled out a communication device, and began speaking into it. “He’s here already? How did you get him to agree to it?...Ah, I suppose the idea of living quietly in the country would appeal to him…Yes, we just finished a tour of the kitchen, so I can bring them to you now if you want…Ok, we’ll be right there.” She closed the device and put it back in her pocket. “All right, Director Fury is ready for you. Let me take you to his office.”

Sigyn was glad the prying questions had ended, but was apprehensive about the arrangements that had been made for her and the children. What was to happen to them? She held onto her sons’ hands as they walked through the halls to Director Fury’s office.

When they arrived, there was another man sitting across from the Director. He seemed unassuming and harmless from what Sigyn could tell. He was average in stature, with dark brown hair. When she walked into the room, the man stood up and looked at her nervously. Director Fury also stood up. “Mrs…uh…Sigyn, I would like to introduce you to Bruce Banner. Dr. Banner has agreed to take you under his care until Thor decides it’s safe for you to return to Asgard.”

Bruce Banner held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said quietly.

Sigyn bowed to Bruce. “I am happy to meet you,” she responded before introducing Brynja and the boys to him. “I hope this will not be a terrible inconvenience for you…”

“No, I was just deciding what to do now that the Avengers aren’t needed, and this should work out just fine,” Bruce replied politely.

Director Fury handed Bruce a packet. “In there you’ll find keys to the safe house, keys to the van, credit cards, and anything else you’ll need. Out front is a van for all of you, and your luggage. Bruce, I trust you can drive it yourself?”

Bruce nodded. “We’ll just drive nice and slow,” he replied as he reached out and took the packet from Director Fury. “All right, why don’t we head out now? If we time it right, we can get there in time for dinner.”

Sigyn said her farewells to the Director and Natasha, making sure to compliment them on all she had seen that day. “This is a building full of amazing things,” she said. “I envy you that you get to work here every day.”

Natasha smiled and wished them luck, and Director Fury nodded and bade them a curt farewell. “Good luck Banner,” he called out as they left the office.

When they arrived at the van, Sigyn discovered that their trunks had been placed in the vehicle for them. Bruce helped everybody get settled in the van. “The boys need to sit in the back,” he instructed as the children jumped through the side door. He showed them how to “buckle up” as he called it, so they were securely seated. Brynja sat in the back as well, to watch over the children. She smiled at Bruce, then blushed and averted her eyes as he reached over to help her secure her seatbelt.

Sigyn sat up front with Bruce and had observed him enough to be able to use the seatbelt by herself. She squealed with fright when he started the van. It made a terribly loud roaring noise. “That’s just the engine,” he reassured them. “It’s how the van can move.”

When he pulled out into traffic, she squealed again. “These little vans are going to hit us!” she cried while looking out the window at the traffic around them.

“Those are called ‘cars’,” Bruce replied. “They won’t hit us, I promise. Just take a deep breath and stay calm. Everything will be all right.”

It took several minutes before Sigyn felt comfortable. When she was finally convinced that the smaller cars wouldn’t hit them, she relaxed and turned around to check on the boys. “Are you all right back there?” she asked.

Vali and Nari had excited looks on their faces as they looked out the windows. Soon she was peppered with “Mor! Mor look! Look mor!” every few seconds as they pointed out things that fascinated them. “The lights are so bright!” “And the buildings are so tall!” They were entertained for quite some time as they drove through the city.

“Where will we be living, Bruce Banner?” Sigyn asked after a while. “This city is very large. Will we live here?”

Bruce shook his head. “Please, call me Bruce,” he replied. “We won’t be staying here, it’s a bit hectic for my tastes. We’re going to a house out in Connecticut where there will be plenty of fresh air and not as many people. I think you will all enjoy it a lot.”

“What will you do while we’re there? You helped Thor in battle, are you a warrior as well? Will there be many people to slay there?”

“I sure hope not…” Bruce said. “I’m not a warrior, I’m a scientist. I hope I’ll be able to continue my work there.”

Sigyn nodded her head. “Brynja and I shall keep the house for you and prepare all your meals,” she said.

“You don’t have to do that…”

“It is no trouble. That is women’s work.”

Bruce’s eyebrows rose. “Women’s work?”

Sigyn smiled and nodded her head. “Do not worry, Brynja and I are well trained.”

Bruce sighed and kept his eyes on the road as he drove. It took over an hour for them to reach the city limits. Traffic thinned out, and he began to drive faster.

“Oh my, it is almost as if we are flying!” Sigyn remarked. The children continued to call out sights for her to look at. The scenery changed from the city, to a pastoral setting. Large patches of green land that were filled with growing plants surrounded them on both sides of the road. Bruce referred to it as “the country”. “It is very beautiful here.”

The sun was beginning to set when Sigyn heard a moan from the back of the van. “Mor! Nari doesn’t feel well,” Vali called out to her.

Sigyn turned and saw that Nari looked quite green. “What is the matter?” she asked, feeling alarmed.

“I feel dizzy,” Nari croaked. “My stomach hurts…”

Sigyn tried to unbuckle her seatbelt to go to him, but Bruce stopped her. “I’m going to pull over,” he explained. “Let me handle this.” He pulled the van over to the side of the road and got out to open the side door. He unbuckled Nari and helped the wobbling child out of the car. Nari walked two steps before bending over and vomiting. Vali giggled at his brother’s misfortune until Brynja whacked him on the back of his head.

Sigyn unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed out of the van to assist Nari. “Oh my son!” she cried, kneeling down next to him and holding onto him while he was sick. “What has happened to you?”

“It’s called ‘motion sickness’,” Bruce said. “It’s from being in the moving van.”

“Oh my poor son,” Sigyn said quietly. When Nari had finished being sick, he straightened up and took several deep breaths. She reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

“I feel better now,” he announced, sounding heartier than he had a few minutes before.

Bruce went back to the van and opened the back door for a minute. He returned and handed Nari a bottle of water. “Rinse your mouth out with that,” he instructed before handing him a peppermint candy. “And that will help settle your stomach.”

He and Sigyn helped Nari back into the van after that. “Just look straight ahead and that should also help,” Bruce advised. Nari did as he was told and had no more problems after that. Sigyn looked over her shoulder at the children every couple of minutes to make sure they were all right.

They arrived at the house an hour later, and the boys scrambled out of the van and began to run around the front yard. The adults emptied out the van and started taking trunks into the house. They explored each furnished room, and Sigyn declared it a “good” house. On the first floor, there was a large kitchen, stocked with a small selection of dried and canned goods, a washroom, and a large living space with a fireplace. On the second floor, there were enough sleeping chambers for everybody to have their own, and two more washrooms. Bruce seemed happy that there were three washrooms.

One of the sleeping chambers had two small beds, one set atop the other. Sigyn had no idea how the one in the air stayed in place, but Bruce reassured her they were quite safe. “They’re called ‘bunk beds’,” he said as Nari and Vali scrambled over to climb into them.

“I get the one in the air!” Nari cried as he climbed up the ladder and sat down on the bed. “Look mor, I am a bird and this is my aerie!”

“Yes, my love, you are like a young eagle in a perch,” Sigyn replied with a smile.

Vali climbed into the bottom bunk. “I am not like a bird,” he said.

“No my dear, you are like a young lion in his den,” Sigyn said, leaning down to ruffle his white blonde hair.

She left the boys in their room to explore the rest of the sleeping chambers. “Bruce, this one is the largest, and it has the biggest bed. This should be your chambers,” she suggested. Bruce looked inside the room and considered it.

“Don’t you want it?” he asked.

“It is your right as the man to have the largest sleeping chamber.”

Bruce appeared unable to respond. He stammered for a moment before reluctantly accepting the room for himself.

Sigyn took a smaller chamber next to his that had a bed large enough for two people. For the first time that day, she allowed her thoughts to dwell on Loki. She wouldn’t get to share this bed with him and it made her feel terribly lonely.

“My husband, that you were here with us,” she called out to him. “Can you hear me from so far a distance?”

She was unpacking the boys’ trunks in their new sleeping chamber when he replied. “My love, I would only be a danger to you if I was there. I do miss you, however. This cell is so dull. Mother has sent me books to read. It helps pass the time.”

“You must live through my mind, my love. Things are so interesting here. Bruce appears to be a good man. He will be a good guardian to us.”

“Bruce…Banner?”

“Yes, Director Fury assigned him to care for us.”

“Banner…caring for my wife and children? I must speak to my brother about this at once…”

“I am sure all will be well. I trust the people Thor sent us to.”

“Forgive me if _I_ do not, my wife. I must do what I think is right for you and the children. Just be careful not to upset or anger him. He is harmless then.”

“I shall treat him very kindly. Oh my love, I shall miss sharing my bed with you tonight.”

“I shall miss having you here in my bed,” Loki replied. “I miss the joys of your pleasures…It has been so long since we have shared a night together. Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever be able to make love again, and if I’ll even remember how to do it…”

“Oh, don’t speak so, my husband. I’m sure we’ll find a way to be reunited, and then we will be able to make love like we used to.”

“Like when we were first wedded. Those were grand times.”

Vali entered the room at that time and began to help Sigyn unpack. “Tell far I said hello,” he said to her knowingly.

“Our sons miss you, my love,” Sigyn said to Loki. “And they need me now, so I shall leave you to your thoughts. I will speak with you again soon.”

“Go, my Sjalsfrande. I will be there with you.”

Sigyn withdrew from her husband’s mind and focused on helping Vali. When their trunks had been emptied, she went down to the kitchen and was shocked to find Bruce preparing a meal for everybody. “Oh, I should be doing that,” she said as she rushed over.

“It’s all right, I don’t mind,” Bruce replied with a smile. “I figured you might not be familiar with the kitchen equipment. I can show you tomorrow how everything works.”

“Very well. What are you preparing?” she looked at a pot of boiling water. It had something white cooking in it. Next to it was another pot with a red sauce simmering in it. “It smells wonderful.”

“Spaghetti,” Bruce replied. “The noodles are already made and the sauce is from a can. That’s about the limit of my culinary skills, I’m afraid.”

“I am just surprised you cook at all. Cooking is women’s work, after all.”

Bruce frowned. “Does Asgard keep men and women pretty strictly separated, as far as what work they can do?” he asked.

Sigyn thought for a moment. “Women take care of the children, though Loki was much more involved than most fathers. He insisted on it. Thor too helped care for them. Women prepare the food and work with the servants to run the home. Women also are in charge of the healing rooms, though men can be healers too. Men are not allowed to be midwives, however. Frigga insists that men are not allowed to know that magic. It is only for women’s bodies, she says, and so only for women to know. Men do the hunting and are warriors. They uphold the family honor. Men decide to accept their children, or not, and name them. Loki named both of our sons.”

Bruce frowned. “What happens if the man doesn’t accept his child?”

“Then it is taken outside to succumb to the elements.”

Bruce blanched and furrowed his brow. “That’s barbaric,” he said.

Sigyn nodded in agreement. “It is, but it is also quite rarely practiced. Most men see it as a claim to their manhood to be able to have fathered many children. Even with women other than his wife. He might acknowledge the child and take the woman on as a lover or a second wife.”

“But what if the woman doesn’t want to be a second wife? Or what if the first wife doesn’t want the competition?”

“The women are permitted to take lovers as well if they are dissatisfied with the marriage. Or she may divorce her husband. If she divorces him, she receives her dowry back and can live off of it or choose another husband. It’s all quite simple really.”

Bruce looked thoroughly confused, but didn’t pursue the conversation any further because Brynja and the children had just entered the room. “Dinner’s almost ready,” he announced.

“Mor, the washing rooms here don’t have air-blowing machines,” Vali complained.

“Those are usually used in public restrooms, not homes,” Bruce explained as he carried the pot of water to the sink and drained the contents into a strainer.

“Bruce has made supper for us tonight,” Sigyn said to the others.

Brynja blushed and laughed quietly. “A man can prepare food?” she asked incredulously.

Nari and Vali eyed Bruce warily. “You are permitted in the kitchens?” Nari asked.

“Do not worry,” Sigyn reassured her sons. “Tomorrow Brynja and I shall learn how to use the Midgardian kitchen and we will take over the cookery. Bruce will do his science and the hunting.”

Bruce shook his head as he plated food for everybody. “I’m not really a hunter…” he remarked.

“Then how shall we procure our food?” Brynja asked, looking confused.

“We’ll buy it at the grocery store,” Bruce explained as he set a plate of food in front of her. When he saw the blank looks on their faces, he explained what a grocery store was as he continued to hand out plates of food and finally took his place at the table. Sigyn had saved the head of the table for him.

“I wish to visit a grocery store,” Nari said as he stabbed noodles with his fork and attempted to pick it up to eat. When they slid off his fork, he frowned and tried again.

Bruce demonstrated for them how to use a spoon and fork to twirl the noodles so that they could be eaten more easily. Brynja and Sigyn helped the children try it before attempting it themselves.

“Oh, such flavors,” Sigyn remarked after her first bite. “The noodles feel so funny in my mouth! And what is the red sauce made from?”

“Tomatoes,” Bruce replied.

“I have never heard of that, but it is good,” Sigyn said. The rest of the group was in agreement of the meal’s deliciousness and ate heartily. In spite of their best efforts to remain clean, Vali and Nari ended up with spaghetti sauce all over their hands and faces “Oh my goodness, look at you!” Sigyn cried. “We shall have to bathe you before bed.”

Brynja took the boys upstairs to give them a bath while Sigyn helped Bruce clean up in the kitchen. “We shall all adjust, won’t we?” she asked cautiously.

“I think so,” Bruce replied quietly. “It’s been a rough day for all of us, but everything will be better after a good night’s sleep.”

Sigyn nodded her head and tried to ignore the sad, worried feeling building up inside her. Now that the day’s adventures were ending, the reality of her situation was weighing down on her. This was all really happening. Tomorrow she would wake up and still be here. There was no going home any time soon.

When the boys had been bathed and dressed for bed, Sigyn bade Bruce a good night and went upstairs to put them to bed. Nari had barely been tucked in and kissed before he was lightly snoring. Vali was anxious and kept his arms around Sigyn’s neck for a long time before letting her go. “Mor,” he whispered, “I do not like the new shadows in this room…”

Sigyn conjured a small glowing orb and set it at the foot of his bunk bed. “This will keep the shadows at bay,” she whispered back. “Try to sleep, my love. We will learn all sorts of new things tomorrow.”

“Yes mor,” Vali said with a yawn.

Sigyn shut the chamber door before walking to her own room. Brynja was waiting there, and helped her change into her sleeping gown. “What do you think of Midgard, Brynja?” she asked quietly while sitting down on the edge of her new bed.

“It is a very strange place, but interesting,” Brynja replied. “I do like our new guardian…”

The events and emotions of the last few days suddenly overwhelmed Sigyn’s senses, and she began to cry. “I miss Loki!” she cried out.

Brynja frowned and sat down next to her. “Do not cry, my mistress,” she begged. “It is a good place we’ve been sent to.” She wrapped her arms around Sigyn’s shoulders comfortingly. “Do you wish for me to sleep with you in here tonight?”

“Yes, I cannot bear to be alone,” Sigyn sobbed.

“Let me get ready and I will return shortly.”

Sigyn slipped into the bed and Brynja joined her a few minutes later. Brynja opened her arms and wrapped them around Sigyn when she settled in against her. Sigyn closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound of Brynja’s steady heartbeat. Her tears slowly stopped and the rhythm soon lulled her to sleep.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn, Brynja, and the boys adjust to life on Midgard with Bruce Banner. Bruce adjusts to life with the Asgardians.

Nari was up at sunrise the next morning, and looked out the window of his new sleeping chamber until he heard movements outside the door and ran to see who was there. Bruce Banner was leaving the washing room, looking groggy. “Where are you going?” Nari whispered.

“To make breakfast, want to help?” Bruce replied quietly.

“That’s women’s work,” Nari hissed, though he joined Bruce anyway. “Where I come from, men are not even allowed in the kitchens.”

“I think you’ll find that life here is pretty different,” Bruce replied patiently.

Vali walked into the kitchen a while later, holding Sigyn’s orb from the night before. “Look what mor made for me to help me sleep,” he said to Nari.

“Did it help?”

“It made the shadows go away.”

Bruce glanced at the orb and did a double take. “Sigyn _made_ it? How?” he asked.

“Magic,” Vali replied. “Far has taught her, and me, some of his magic.”

Bruce reached out and touched the orb. “She conjured it with magic? Amazing! I would love to study it…”

Vali handed it to him. “Keep it,” he replied, “Mor can make me a new one tonight.”

Bruce thanked him and set it on the counter before preparing breakfast. The boys watched in awe as he cooked. Nari made him explain everything he did in great detail. Brynja and Sigyn joined the group a short time later and helped set the table as Bruce finished cooking. He set plates of sausages, eggs, and bacon on the table. It was food they were familiar with and it helped Sigyn feel comforted. She had managed to sleep soundly, but still felt lost and cast out from her home.

“Today I thought we’d go shopping for clothes and food. You need clothes that look like ours,” Bruce commented as he ate.

Sigyn smiled and looked down at her sons. “What do you think, boys? Do you wish to dress as Midgardian boys do?”

“Yes, because then we can play with them!” Nari exclaimed.

“Remember, you’ll continue your schooling here, just as if we were back home,” Sigyn replied. “And you must remember never to tell anybody who we really are or where we come from.”

“If anybody asks where you’re from, just say you’re from Argo City,” Bruce added in an amused tone.

“Argo City…Is that in Midgard?” Brynja asked with a shy smile.

“No…It’s…you know what? Never mind,” Bruce said. “Forget I said it.”

Once everybody had finished eating and Sigyn and Brynja had washed the dishes, Bruce started the van and they drove to the nearest town. He found a clothing store and parked in the parking lot.

It took some time, since nobody knew their sizes, but eventually the boys had found jeans, shirts, socks, and shoes that fit and that they liked. Sigyn and Brynja had laughed delightedly and applauded for them when they had shown off their choices.

“Do I fit in?” Nari asked Bruce. He was wearing a pair of black shorts and had a Buzz Lightyear t-shirt on. He wore red and black flip-flops on his feet.

“How about me?” Vali asked. He had red shorts, a Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt, and tennis shoes on.

“You both look like all the other boys,” Bruce assured them.

Brynja and Sigyn also took a long time to try on clothes. “Women really wear men’s trousers?” Sigyn asked.

“You can wear skirts or dresses if you want,” Bruce replied as he tried to keep the boys from running around the store.

Sigyn had never worn clothing that wasn’t handmade, and found some of it to be very uncomfortable. There were some she did like, and she chose among those. The blue sundress was her favorite, as well as a red and white striped skirt. “It is so short!” she said of its knee length, “But I like it.” She had many clothes of all shapes, colors, and designs, as did Brynja, by the time they were finished.

Both women gasped in shock and tried to cover the boys’ eyes when they walked past what Bruce called the “lonzheray” section. There were statues dressed up to show off the store’s wares. “Do Midgardian women really dress like this publicly?” Sigyn asked.

“At the beach, sometimes,” Bruce replied. “But, we’ll skip the bathing suit section…” He herded the whispering women and the giggling boys to the nearest cash register and used one of the SHIELD credit cards to purchase all the clothes. They left a while later with several bags each in their hands.

The next stop was the grocery store. Bruce found a cart and the group slowly walked up and down every aisle. He had to explain everything to them since none of them could read the labels. Sigyn held up a can of condensed soup. “What is this called?” she asked, pointing to the lid.

“Can,” Bruce replied. “It’s made of metal.”

Sigyn wrinkled her nose. “Midargdians eat metal?”

“No, there’s food inside it. The can is a container.”

Sigyn shook the can and heard the contents sloshing around. “Oh my…” she murmured before placing it in the cart. Since they did not know likes and dislikes, they deferred to Bruce’s judgment when it came to choosing the food.

“Mor, look!” Vali cried as they walked through a cold section of the store. “Those sausages that Natasha gave us for the midday meal yesterday. May we get some? Please?”

Bruce looked at the item Vali was pointing at and smiled. “Hot dogs,” he said before picking up three packages. “Kids love these. They’re terrible for you, but still…they are tasty.”

“Where is the livestock?” Brynja asked as they walked down an aisle with various dairy products.

Bruce looked at her curiously. “There is no livestock here,” he replied.

“Then where will we get our fresh meat?”

“From the butcher’s counter.” Bruce looked over at Sigyn who was opening a carton of eggs. The boys gathered around her to look at them. “We get meat from the butcher.”

“I do not understand,” Brynja replied. “Is the butcher the one who slaughters the animal?”

“No, that’s done somewhere else. The meat is cut up and packaged by the butcher,” Bruce explained. He frowned as Sigyn placed six cartons of eggs in the cart.

“Midgardians do not butcher their own meat?” Brynja scoffed.

“Most don’t,” Bruce said before calling out to Sigyn, “I think we have enough eggs now.”

“Brynja, did you see this?” Sigyn cried animatedly. “In Midgard, eggs come from boxes!” Brynja went over to inspect one of the cartons. Sigyn turned to Bruce. “In Asgard, eggs come from hens,” she explained.

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but she had turned and was chattering with Brynja. He rolled his eyes and continued to make his way through the aisle. Nari and Vali no longer asked permission for things, but went about adding whatever they wanted to the cart. Bruce didn’t stop them except for a few items. “No, that is not human food,” he said when Nari tried to put a can of dog food into the cart. “That’s for dogs.” Nari wrinkled his nose and returned the can to the shelf. Bruce also made Vali put the bag of charcoal briquettes back as well.

The Asgardians marveled at the variety of fruits and vegetables in the produce section. “We must get all of these,” Sigyn declared before setting the boys on the hunt for samples of each item.

Bruce sighed when he saw the items stacking up in the cart. “We’re going to need a second cart,” he said before leaving them to find another one. When he returned, Sigyn had her arms full of vegetables and fruits and dumped them in the empty cart. “Let me show you how to put those things in bags,” he offered. “It’ll be easier on the checker…”

“Mor! Look how hard and furry this one is!” Vali cried, holding up what looked like a furry round wooden ball. “And it sloshes when you shake it.”

“What is it, Bruce?” Sigyn asked as Vali placed it in her hands.

“That’s a coconut,” he replied.

“I bet it’s delicious, but do you eat the fur?”

“No, just the inside.”

“Mor!” Nari cried from across the produce section. “Look, they have apples here too! Look!” He held up two apples to show her.

At long last, they had their fill of the produce section, and moved to the bread aisle. Bruce picked out hotdog buns, bread for sandwiches, and rolls. “All right, next up, the butcher,” he announced.

Sigyn gasped when they arrived at the meat aisle. She looked at the clear-wrapped packages of meat and shook her head. “But where is the rest?” she kept asking. “There is no spirit in this meat…” She picked out several cuts of beef and pork in spite of that, as well as chicken and fish from the nearby fish counter.

When they finished, they walked to the toy aisle and the boys explored everything in great detail. “Mor! Look at this sword!” Nari called out, holding up a small, flimsy sword. “What is this made of?”

“Plastic,” Bruce replied.

Nari rolled his eyes and set it down. “It is not an acceptable sword,” he declared. His eyes focused on a red rubber ball, and soon he was bouncing it up and down the aisle with his hands. “May I have this, mor?”

“Yes you may,” Sigyn replied. “Vali, what would you like?”

Vali looked around and settled on a large green toy car. “I would like this one, mor,” he replied.

“All right, place it in the cart,” she said with a smile.

Bruce also picked out two baseball mitts, a bat, and a baseball for them, as well as a sprinkler and several comic books. “Would they like any stuffed animals?” he asked Sigyn.

She looked blankly at him. “They do not have livestock here, but there are animals that are stuffed? With what?” she asked.

Bruce held up a toy stuffed bear. “Not real animals,” he replied. “They’re soft, sort of like dolls. Maybe to keep them company at night? Children here often sleep with them and draw comfort from them.”

Sigyn took the black bear from him and felt how soft it was. “Brynja, feel this,” she said, holding it out to her friend. “Boys, do you want to have one of these animal dolls?”

Vali and Nari each held the bear for a moment. They both lost interest after a minute and returned to their search through the aisle. Sigyn took the bear back and hugged it to her chest. It was soft and she liked the way it felt against her skin. She imagined herself at night in her new bed, holding it and taking comfort from it. If she could not be with her husband, and Brynja could not share her bed every night, she could have this to keep her company. “I shall get it for myself,” she finally declared before setting it in the cart.

When the second cart was so full that items were falling out of it, Bruce declared that they were finished. “I am not getting a third cart,” he said as they carefully steered them to the cash registers. When he approached a cashier, he smiled. “I apologize in advance for this,” he said before he and Sigyn began to unload the carts. The cashier called extra baggers to help and it took nearly a half hour before everything had been scanned. The boys watched in silent fascination. Bruce shook his head as he signed for the purchases. “Fury’s gonna love getting this bill,” he muttered. The additional baggers also helped put the bags in the van for them as Sigyn helped the boys get seat-belted.

Sigyn took her place next to Bruce before they drove back to their new home. “We will all help bring in the bags,” she said on the way back. “There is too much for just you to carry.”

“Thank you,” Bruce replied. “When we get everything unpacked, I think it’ll be time for lunch. I’ll show you how to use the stove.”

“I’ll prepare you a filling midday meal,” Sigyn promised.

Unloading the van took another half hour and unpacking all the bags took nearly an hour. “Mor, I’m starving!” Nari whined.

“Me too mor!” Vali wailed.

Bruce handed each boy a banana and showed them how to unpeel it before eating. Soon they were engrossed in their snack and left their mother alone. Bruce gave her a lesson on how to use the can opener, the stove, and how best to prepare the foods he had chosen for lunch that day.

Sigyn shooed him from the kitchen when he was done, and happily prepared the meal as Brynja watched the children in the living room. She could hear her and Bruce talking quietly, and smiled. She could tell Brynja was quite smitten with him and wondered if Bruce would take her as a lover while they were in Midgard. She would do her best to encourage it, for Brynja was a faithful handmaid who deserved all the happiness that life could bring her.

When the midday meal was ready, she made sure Bruce and Brynja were seated next to one another and kept her sons busy with their own conversation so they could continue talking.

“Mor, what is this?” Nari asked, holding up a spoon of canned stew she had heated.

“It is beef stew,” she replied while buttering slices of white bread. She had never seen such strangely shaped loaves before, and they were already sliced! She was eager to taste the meal.

Nari looked skeptical and sniffed it before taking a bite. He chewed slowly before swallowing. “It is different, but it will suffice,” he declared. Vali was eating his food with no complaints, and happily accepted his bread and butter from his mother. When the boys had all their food, Sigyn finally began to eat her own meal. It did taste different from what she was used to, but it was still good. The texture of the meat was strange, but the flavor made up for it.

When the meal ended, Sigyn sent the boys outside to play with their new toys and Bruce took Brynja down into the basement to show her how to use the washing machine. With everybody else occupied, Sigyn went about clearing the dishes and tidying the kitchen.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with her knitting, while sitting on the back porch. Her sons played outside, laughing and screaming as they enjoyed their new toys. After some convincing, she joined in with the games.

They were running around the backyard when a voice called out to them. “Hello? You must be the new neighbors!” Sigyn turned and saw an older woman on the other side of the fence. She was smiling at them in a friendly fashion. “My name’s Alice, what’s yours?”

Sigyn walked over to the other woman and bowed. “I am Sigyn Kjellsdottir and these are my sons Nari and Vali Lokison,” she said, pointing to each child in turn.

The woman smiled again. “Oh, such lovely names,” she replied. “Are you Swedish?”

Sigyn looked blankly at her for a moment. She couldn’t reveal where they were really from, but what was Swedish? “Yes, I am Swedish, and so are my sons,” she replied.

“I thought you might be,” Alice replied. “You have such lovely blonde hair and Nordic features.”

“Are you Swedish?” Sigyn asked politely.

“Oh no,” Alice said. “I’m Scotch-Irish on my mother’s side and German on my dad’s side. You know, a typical American mutt!” She laughed at her joke and Sigyn chuckled politely.

At that moment, Brynja exited from the back door with a pile of mending to work on. Bruce followed her out a second later. “Bruce, come meet Alice, the neighbor,” Sigyn called out to him.

Bruce walked over to them and shook Alice’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said quietly.

“Sigyn was telling me how she’s from Sweden, but you sound American to me…” Alice said. “You must like being married to such a beauty…”

Bruce smiled woodenly and put his arm around Sigyn’s shoulders. “Yes, it’s just wonderful,” he replied.

“And who is this?” she called out to Brynja.

“That’s Brynja,” Sigyn replied. “She is my hand—”

“Housekeeper,” Bruce interrupted. “She’s the housekeeper,” Sigyn smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Well, it’s lovely to have such a young and interesting family for neighbors,” Alice replied. “I’ll have to have you over for a cookout in the yard one of these nights. I’ll introduce you to my husband, Peter.”

“That would be wonderful,” Bruce said. “Well, I must get back in the house. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He returned to the house, leaving Sigyn to speak with Alice. Alice invited her over for coffee the next morning before excusing herself to make her husband’s dinner.

“I believe I have made a friend!” Sigyn exclaimed as she sat down next to Brynja and took up her knitting once again.

“A friend who believes you to be Bruce Banner’s husband!” Brynja replied, looking put out.

Sigyn frowned and looked at Brynja. “I should have told her _you_ were his wife,” she replied. “I am sorry, my friend…I will not take him as a lover, however. I leave that task to you…” Brynja blushed and Sigyn leaned in and brushed her shoulder against her. “I know what you want, and that would be Bruce!”

“My lady!” Brynja cried. “You speak so boldly!”

“There is nothing wrong with boldly seeking out pleasure where you can. Although I won’t deny that lying with Bruce would most likely be pleasurable to me, I do not wish to stand in your way and I don’t think he would be comfortable with taking both of us as lovers. I don’t think they do that in Midgard.”

“I would very much like to take Bruce as a lover,” Brynja said quietly. “You were so brave to take Thor as a lover. How did you do it?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps it was easier because I already knew him. Two days is a bit premature to take too many steps towards it. Continue spending time with Bruce as you are now. Get to know him better and allow him to get to know you. Share your thoughts and opinions with him. He appears to appreciate that.”

“I shall try to do all of that, my lady,” Brynja replied.

“Good, I hope it works out,” Sigyn replied.

“Do you think you’ll look for a lover while you’re here?”

“I do not think so. I took Thor because I did not know of Loki’s whereabouts, but now I know where he is. Thor was definitely an adequate lover, and I enjoyed our shared night tremendously, but he was not Loki. My husband is the best lover I could ever have. All other men pale in comparison, and I shall do my best to wait until I can be properly reunited with him.”

“I wish you luck with that,” Brynja replied.

As Sigyn prepared supper that night, Loki spoke into her mind. “It gives me no end of pleasure to hear that my brother was such an inadequate lover compared to me that it has turned you away from all other men…I am glad you don’t plan on taking Banner as a lover.”

“Oh, my Sjalsfrande, you know there will be no other than you who is right for my heart and body. I had hoped to shield you from the knowledge of that night. And it was only _one_ night…”

“You know we cannot hide anything from one another, even if we try. But I do not hold it against you, my love. I am as much to blame as my brother. After all, I had rashly released you from our wedding vows. And my brother has very little self-control. He did not think before acting impulsively. But it is all in the past now, and you are waiting for me, just as I am waiting for you.”

“Our coupling will be all the better for it.”

“It is so lonely here, my love…”

Sigyn had to cut herself off from her husband when everybody entered the kitchen for supper. “What are we having tonight, mor?” Vali asked.

“Roasted beef with potatoes and some of those greens we bought.” Sigyn replied.

“It smells wonderful!” Nari cried. “I’m starving!”

Bruce took his place at the head of the table and politely thanked Sigyn when she handed him a plate heavily laden with food. Brynja sat next to him and made polite conversation with him while Sigyn helped cut her sons’ meat. “Eat heartily, my boys,” she said. “It has been quite another adventurous day, has it not?”

“It has,” Nari replied in between bites of his food. “Tomorrow after our lessons, Vali and I wish to explore our surroundings. May we leave the yard and see what there is to see?”

Sigyn considered this for a while before responding. Her sons were quite young to explore a strange world on their own, unattended. She did not like the idea of letting them out of her sight so soon after arriving in Midgard. “You may,” she replied. “However, I shall accompany you.”

Nari frowned and sighed. “But mor, we are old enough to go by ourselves,” he complained. “We are practically men grown! And besides, I have my sax if anybody should trouble us.”

Bruce, who was slicing off a piece of roast beef for Brynja, joined the conversation. “Not to pry,” he said, “I know it’s not really my place, but I should warn you that small children carrying sharp weapons is frowned upon here. I would suggest that the weapons don’t leave the house.”

Sigyn nodded her head. “If it is frowned upon here, then we mustn’t do it. Nari, no sax outside the house.”

“Aww, mor…” Nari sulked, though not for long. He knew when his mother made up her mind, she rarely changed it.

“I am sorry, my love,” Sigyn replied sympathetically. “Perhaps after we explore tomorrow I shall be comfortable letting you boys do so alone.”

“I suppose so,” Nari muttered before returning to the meal.

That night, after Sigyn had finished cleaning the kitchen, Bruce showed them how the television worked. They watched, wide-eyed with wonder as he put on a movie for them. “This is called ‘The Sword in the Stone’,” he announced before it started. “It’s a cartoon, which is made up of animated drawings that move and tell the story. The story is about the legend of King Arthur of England from a very long time ago. It’s a very famous story in our world.”

Sigyn was fascinated to see the movie as the story unfolded. The castle and all the life inside it reminded her of home. She laughed at the sight of the small, elderly wizard called Merlin, and the boys laughed until tears streamed down their faces when Merlin and Arthur were transformed into fish and swam around in the castle moat.

When the movie ended, everybody applauded. Nari claimed that Arthur was a valiant hero, like Thor. Vali spoke of Merlin. “One day, mor, I shall be powerful enough to turn myself into a fish too! Or perhaps other animals as well.”

“Well, we will have to continue your training as best as we can here,” Sigyn replied.

Vali didn’t need a glowing orb that night to help him sleep. “The shadows are not scary anymore,” he claimed as Sigyn put the boys to bed that night. In a similar vein, she felt brave enough to sleep in her bed alone. She did, however, hold her new stuffed bear close to her. She named it Loki and imagined that it was her husband, and felt comforted.

(SCENE)

The next day, Sigyn got up and dressed for her coffee with Alice next door. Bruce advised her that her sundress would suffice and that she did not need to bring anything with her except a smile. “What if she asks personal questions I cannot answer?” she asked nervously as he walked her to the door.

“Just make up answers,” he advised. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Sigyn nervously walked next door and knocked on it when she arrived. Alice opened the door and invited her in. Sigyn quickly glanced back at her house and saw Vali nervously chewing on his fingernail as he looked out of his bedroom window over at her. She waved at him before entering the house.

“Bruce, how long will mor be over there?” Vali asked after he ran out of the bedroom to find him. “She went inside and I can’t see her anymore.”

“She’ll probably be gone an hour or so,” Bruce replied. “She’s only talking and having coffee, nothing to be worried about. Why don’t you help Brynja make breakfast? It’ll keep you busy and you won’t worry anymore.”

“I’d rather help you with science,” he replied.

“Oh? I’m still setting up the lab downstairs,” Bruce said. “Why don’t you help me unpack things until our food is ready?”

“I like this plan.” He followed behind Bruce as they walked down to the basement. Time passed quickly and before he knew it, Brynja was calling them to the breakfast table. He had just finished his last sausage when Sigyn returned.

“Mor! I missed you!” he cried, jumping out of his seat and running over to hug Sigyn. “Were you safe there?”

“Oh yes, my darling,” Sigyn replied before leaning down to kiss his cheeks. “Alice made delicious coffee and something called ‘cookies’ and we talked and got to know each other better. She is a dear woman.”

“I am glad you’re back,” Vali replied while giving her a hug.

“Well, now that I am back, we can begin with schooling for the day,” she said with a smile.

Nari frowned and pouted. “I wish you were still at coffee…” he muttered.

Sigyn had packed all the items they needed for schooling before they’d left, and used the spare sleeping chamber as a room devoted to it. As always, Vali responded much better than Nari, and she had to give him extra assistance for him to keep up with his brother’s progress.

Brynja resumed household duties as Sigyn was now devoted to her children’s needs. Bruce disappeared to the basement to begin his scientific work. Everybody did their best not to interrupt him.

When schooling had concluded for the day, and the midday meal had ended, Sigyn took the boys out to explore the neighborhood, as promised. When Brynja volunteered to go with them, Sigyn shook her head. “Neither I nor the children will be here, so you must spend time with Bruce… _alone_ …” she said with a wink. “You should go ask if he needs anything.”

Brynja blushed, but didn’t protest. “I can join you another time,” she concluded.

Sigyn and the boys set out on their walk a short time later and took in all their surroundings. “Look at all the different types of trees and plants,” she commented as the boys ran ahead of her. In one of the yards, a large fluffy dog barked and growled at them.

Vali looked frightened, and before Sigyn could reach him, she saw him raise his hand in the dog’s direction. He muttered something under his breath and suddenly the dog stopped barking and sat on its haunches docilely. She took Vali’s hand and walked beside him after that. “My brave boy,” she said proudly. “But you mustn’t let people see you doing magic. It isn’t normal in Midgard.”

There were several children the boys’ age playing outside, and they were very interested in seeing the newcomers. Sigyn stopped and introduced her children to everybody she saw. All the adults seemed amused at their manners, while the children saw in them potential playmates.

One yard had four children playing in it, and the eldest child, a girl of around ten years perhaps, introduced herself and her siblings to them. “I’m Anne, and these are my brothers Ben and David, and this is my baby sister Mary.” She looked at Sigyn and smiled. “All us kids are gonna get together tonight at sunset and play kick-the-can. Do your sons wanna join us?”

Vali and Nari, though they had no idea what the game entailed, upon hearing the invitation, looked hopefully up at their mother. “Please mor?” Nari whispered.

“When does the game conclude?” Sigyn asked Anne.

Anne shrugged. “When our parents start hollering at us to come to bed, usually,” she replied.

“And is it a safe game?”

“We just run around and find hiding spots,” Anne explained. “The rule is that you’re not allowed to go inside any houses. You have to stay outside for hiding spots. And you can’t go past there,” she turned one way and pointed to a large tree a short distance away, “or there,” she turned the other way and pointed to where a car was parked in somebody’s front yard.

Sigyn considered this and nodded her head. “Those are acceptable boundaries,” she said approvingly. “Very well, I will permit you to join the game tonight.” She smiled at her sons and they grinned at her.

“Thank you, mor!” Nari said, jumping up and down with excitement.

“Yes, thank you, mor,” Vali added, his eyes shining.

The boys hopped, jumped, and chattered all the way back home as Sigyn watched in amusement. That night at supper, they were nearly too excited to eat. Sigyn too was excited for them, though nervous about letting them go out in the dark. She nearly changed her mind and was going to make them stay inside with her, but she forced herself to stay calm.

When the sun set, the boys traipsed out of the house and up to where all the other children were gathering. Sigyn stood in the doorway, watching. Vali and Nari blended into the crowd of small silhouettes and she couldn’t tell which ones they were.

“My lady, do let the children have their time to themselves,” Brynja called out from her chair by the television. “You shall be able to sense if they are endangered. Come join me and watch this picture show about these singing children. They are so talented.”

Sigyn sighed and slowly closed the front door. She sat down on the sofa and turned her attention to the picture show. “This must be what Midgardians do to educate their children,” she said after a while. “Send them to an institute that educates them in their stead.” She shook her head in wonderment. “I would not wish to send Nari and Vali away to be educated.”

“If I understand it correctly, the institute is called a ‘school’ and the children live close enough to it that they return home each night,” Brynja explained.

“Well, I suppose I would not mind that.”

At one point in the show, somebody dumped a cup of something cold and sticky in one of the character’s faces, and it made him very upset. Sigyn frowned. “Apparently there are bullies in Midgard as well as Asgard,” she commented.

Brynja nodded in agreement. “I wonder what these breaks in the picture shows are,” she commented when the show paused and a short story about washing dishes appeared. After that was a story about a place Midgardians could drive to for supper and feed their children unidentifiable foods in a box. “Bruce would know…”

“Is he in the basement still?”

“Yes, he has set up his science and is doing it now.”

“Go ask him.”

“Do you think I should?”

“Yes, tell him we are very anxious to know.”

Brynja put down her sewing and stood up to leave the room. “Perhaps I could persuade him to join us…” She walked out of the room as Sigyn smiled.

Brynja returned a couple minutes later without Bruce. “He said they are called ‘commercials’ or ‘ads’. And he said he didn’t wish to watch the singing children, but might join us when it’s over.”

Bruce did join them when the program ended and turned the channel to another program. This one was about a group of people doing science and blowing things up. They laughed and cackled gleefully as they did. “This one’s my favorite,” he commented before sitting down on the sofa. Brynja picked up her sewing and moved over to sit next to him.

“The explosions look very dangerous,” she commented.

“It’s all very controlled, and they take all the proper precautions,” Bruce assured her.

“Do you make explosions in the basement?” Sigyn asked.

“Not yet, but you never know…” When she looked at him in alarm, he chuckled. “Relax, that was only a joke,” he said.

Brynja beamed at him before looking at Sigyn. “Bruce is very good at jesting,” she informed her friend.

Sigyn smiled and nodded. “He is,” she agreed. She sat in silence for a moment, trying to think of ways for Brynja to spend more time with Bruce. “Perhaps tomorrow Bruce could teach you some of his science.” She looked at him. “Would you do that? Is science something women in Midgard are permitted to do?”

“Definitely,” Bruce replied. He looked curiously at Brynja. “Do you really want to learn?”

“If you teach me, yes,” she said.

“All right, I suppose I could show you some simple experiments,” he replied. He glanced at Sigyn. “Would you or the boys like to learn too?”

Sigyn shook her head. “No, we do not need to learn science,” she replied. “Only Brynja.”

“All right…” he smiled at Brynja again. “Tomorrow it is.”

When it got late, he stood up and turned off the television. “I’m heading to bed,” he said quietly. “Good night.”

Sigyn yawned and stood up as well. “I too shall go to bed,” she added before walking to the front door and opening it. She walked out onto the porch and looked over to see where her sons were playing. Nearby, she heard somebody call out, “Donnie! Time to come home!” and watched as one of the figures turned and ran off towards the voice.

She took a deep breath and cleared her throat before following suit. “Nari and Vali it is time for bed! Come home now!” she cried out from the porch steps. She listened for a moment and heard disappointed groans a short time later. Then the sounds of feet pattering the ground as her boys ran towards the house. They shouted out farewells to the other children as they clambered up the steps to her.

Sigyn held the door open for them as they traipsed inside. They were shouting and chattering excitedly about the fun they’d had. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had, mor!” Nari exclaimed, his face sweaty and dirt-streaked.

“One of the boys, Billy, he invited us to his home tomorrow for the midday meal and to play with his toys,” Vali added. “May we go? Please?”

“And they are to play again tomorrow night. They play every night. May we join in again?” Nari asked.

“So many questions tonight,” Sigyn replied with a laugh. “And you two are so filthy! You shall need a bath before bed.” Brynja had gone to her sleeping chamber, so Sigyn marched them up the stairs to the washing room and began to run a bath.

Once they were in the tub and she was scrubbing them clean, she answered their eager questions. “Yes, you may play again tomorrow night.” “Tomorrow, after lessons, I shall walk with you to Billy’s house and meet his mother. If I approve, I will permit you to eat and play there.”

“Billy says he has an ‘X-Box’ to show us,” Nari said. “I do not know what that is, but I am eager to see it!”

When the boys were clean enough for Sigyn’s satisfaction, she helped them dry off with towels and watched as they brushed their teeth. After finishing, she walked with them to their sleeping chamber and tucked them into their beds.

“Mor?” Nari called out as she turned off the light and was about to leave the room.

“Yes, my love?”

“I am enjoying it here in Midgard, but…” he sighed before continuing, “I miss far terribly.”

“I miss him too,” Vali added.

Sigyn’s heart ached to hear the sadness in their voices after having such a joyful evening. The sadness was quickly replaced with a flash of anger towards Loki. It was his fault they were here. His fault that they were not living a happy life together as a family in Asgard. Her sons’ lives, and her own, had been interrupted and the boys’ weapons training and future successes would suffer because of it. She took a deep breath, and controlled her emotions before responding. “I miss him too,” she said mournfully. “I will pass on your love to him the next time we connect minds. Perhaps we shall return home to him soon.” With that, she shut the door and walked to her own sleeping chamber.

“My husband!” she called out to him in her mind while she sat on her bed. “I would have a word with you!”

“What is it, my wife?” Loki responded a moment later.

“I wish to finally express to you my displeasure over your behavior,” she replied. “For too long have I let you dictate the direction of our family without protesting. I should have done so long ago…”

“You are my wife, it is not up to you to dictate the direction of our family.”

“Perhaps not, but the children’s wellbeing is up to me. You have hurt them, Loki. Did you know that? Do you care? They love you so much and they miss you terribly right now. Did you think about them at all when making your choice to let go on the Bifrost and wreak whatever havoc you did here? I don’t think you did! You put yourself and your own selfish desires above your own children! And I am so angry at you for that! Can you feel the anger in my heart?”

“Yes…It tears away at me…”

“Good.”

“Sigyn, do you mean to forsake me?”

“You know we can never do that. We are bound to each other for the rest of our lives. I would die if I tried to let go of you. I feel your hurt, it tears at me as well.”

“Do you mean to divorce me?”

“I don’t see how that would achieve anything.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“I know not. I am just angry with you.”

“I hope to make it up to you one day,” Loki said quietly. “One day I shall be king again! And you shall be my queen.”

Sigyn sighed and rolled her eyes. “That matters not to me, husband. What matters is that my husband is in my life and acts as a father to his children.”

“Will nothing I achieve please you? I am trying to make myself worthy of you and our sons! I wanted to give you all of Midgard. You would have ruled by my side. You would have had the same power as Frigga over the affairs of women. You would have been the goddess they worshipped.”

Sigyn despaired to be confronted so undeniably with Loki’s madness. She wondered if he would ever see reason or if that was beyond his abilities now. “Loki, I…Perhaps we should cease this discussion. I do not think we shall ever see it in the same manner.”

“Perhaps we should…”

“I am very tired, my love. I need to sleep. In the morning, hopefully my anger will have abated.”

“Then I shall leave you to your slumber, my love.”

Sigyn felt Loki leave her mind, and threw herself back on the bed. She sobbed for nearly an hour before exhaustion took over and she fell asleep.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Asgardians continue to adjust to Midgard. Nari and Vali make friends with the neighborhood children. Special guest stars Tony Stark and Steve Rogers!

Sigyn awoke the next morning not feeling much happier, but hoped that seeing her sons’ faces would brighten her day. Vali always seemed to sense her emotions, and slipped into her sleeping chamber early that morning, before anybody else had awoken. She sat up in her bed and held her arms out to him to join her. He settled in on her lap and enjoyed spending quiet time alone with her. “Mor, everything will be all right,” he whispered in her ear. “Far loves us even though he hates himself.”

“I do not see why he should hate himself. He is wonderful.” She rocked Vali in her arms as she spoke and occasionally reached up a hand and ran her fingers through is silky blond locks.

“All he sees is his Jotun self,” Vali said wisely. “He hates the snow and ice in his veins.”

“Vali, my child, how are you so insightful at your young age?”

Vali shrugged and snuggled against her chest. “Sometimes I can feel his feelings…” he replied.

“Your souls are closely connected, it would seem.”

“I cannot speak with him, as you can.”

“Perhaps in time you’ll be able to.” Sigyn was quiet for a time before speaking again. “Do you hate your Jotun blood too, my son?”

Vali shifted uncomfortably in her arms. “I do not like it,” he said honestly. “It scares me…But it is a part of me.”

“You know I love you very much no matter what blood you have, right?”

“I know, mor.” He was quiet again for a while. “Nari loves his Jotun blood. At night sometimes he gets up and turns into his Jotun form and looks at himself in the mirror. He’s doing it here too.”

Sigyn had no idea Nari did that and wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She didn’t want to encourage it, but it was who he was, after all. “I suppose he is adjusting to it in his own way,” she finally replied. “Leave him to it.” She ran her fingers through his hair again. After a time, she sighed and moved Vali off her lap. “It is time for me to prepare our morning meal. Why don’t you go get Nari and I shall dress and go downstairs shortly.”

After breakfast, it was time for lessons. They went smoothly that day. Nari didn’t fuss and understood his assignments the first time around and felt very proud of himself for it. “I know you’re a very smart boy, Nari,” Sigyn said, beaming at him. “The more you apply yourself, the better you do.”

“And the faster I do it, the more time there is to play!” Nari exclaimed.

“Just don’t go so fast that you make mistakes…” Sigyn advised.

“I won’t.”

When the lessons ended, Sigyn made sure the children were clean and presentable before walking them across the street and down three houses, where they instructed her to go. She knocked on the front door and took a deep breath for she was very nervous about meeting new people and leaving her children with them. She wasn’t fond of leaving them where she couldn’t see them. The door opened after a moment, and a kind-looking woman smiled at them. “You must be the new neighbors across the street,” she said. “Billy told me he’d invited the boys over for lunch today.”

“Yes, I am Sigyn Kjellsdottir and this is Vali Lokison and Nari Lokison,” she said, introducing her sons to her. “I hope it is all right for them to share your midday meal.”

“Oh sure! There’s always room for more at our table,” the woman said with a grin. “I hope you boys like mac and cheese.”

Vali smiled. “We have never had this dish before, but I look forward to tasting it,” he replied.

“Never had it before, eh? Well, you’re in for a treat.”

“What time shall I return for them?” Sigyn asked.

“Well, they want to play after, so…what about four o’clock? I’ll need to work on dinner after that.”

Sigyn nodded her head. “I shall return at four o’clock,” she promised with a bow.

“Wonderful,” the woman replied. “Oh, I’m Viola, by the way.”

Sigyn nodded again before looking at her sons. “I wish for you to behave yourselves and to honor our family name by being good guests,” she said solemnly.

Nari and Vali promised to be good and ran inside the house to join Billy when he called out to them from somewhere inside. Sigyn began to walk away and Viola shut the door to the house, enclosing her sons within it. Her heart pounded as she walked back home.

Once inside, she ran down into the basement to find Bruce. “Bruce!” she cried as she hurried down the stairs. “Viola says the boys must come back at four o’clock. I do not know how long that is, but you must tell me a few minutes before so that I might go get them in time!”

Bruce smiled at her as he looked up from his desk. Brynja stood next to him. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” he promised. Sigyn sighed with relief and left to prepare the midday meal.

When it was ready and the others had joined her at the table, Brynja excitedly told her all that Bruce had taught her that morning. “Bruce is so wise; he knows everything,” she said, looking at him and smiling.

“Well, I wouldn’t say I know everything,” Bruce replied humbly. “But I was thinking that I could teach both of you to read the clock so you can tell time more easily. Would you like that?”

Sigyn smiled and nodded her head. “I would love that,” she replied. Brynja said that it was a good idea and nodded as well.

When the meal had ended and Sigyn had cleaned up, Bruce took off his watch and began to teach them numbers and how Midgardians kept time. Sigyn found it to be very complicated, though she was at least used to reading her own language and numbers. Brynja did not have that advantage and found it even harder to comprehend. As she watched her friend struggle, Sigyn got an idea that made her feel excited. “You must join us in the mornings, Brynja, and I shall teach you to read and write. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

“Oh my lady, such things are not for servants to know,” she replied incredulously.

“Nonsense,” Sigyn said. “You are my friend, and I wish for you to know these things. It shall be fun!”

Brynja sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I can try,” she conceded. Bruce smiled at her and she blushed and looked away. “Let us continue with the time lesson,” she said in a quiet voice a moment later.

The afternoon passed quickly and Sigyn was proud of herself for reading the clock by herself and knowing when to go to Viola’s house to retrieve her sons. Viola opened the door and beckoned her inside before calling out to the children. “The boys were perfect little gentlemen,” Viola said. “So well-behaved.”

“Thank you,” Sigyn said with a bow. It was a wonderful compliment to receive. “Did you boys have fun today?”

“Oh yes, mor,” Vali exclaimed. “Billy has the most wonderful games to play.”

“And the mac and cheese is delightful,” Nari added. “We must get some too!”

“When we go to the food store next, I will look for it,” Sigyn assured him. “Now, let us return home and I shall prepare supper while you tell me about the games you played today.” She thanked Viola and said her farewells before leaving with the boys in hand.

Nari and Vali peppered her with their exciting stories of the day as she made their meal. She loved hearing the joy in their voices as they explained how the picture show games worked. “I slew five zombies!” Nari cried as he jumped up and began to demonstrate how he had done it.

“What is a zombie?” Sigyn asked.

“I do not know, but they are terrible and evil,” Vali replied. “Midgardians are terrified of them. They will eat your brains if they catch you.”

Sigyn set the dishes for supper on the table as they talked. “They will eat your brains?” she gasped. She ran to the top of the basement stairs. “Bruce! Bruce you must come quickly!” she cried.

Bruce ran up the stairs a minute later, concern showing on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Sigyn hurried over to her sons and clutched them to her. “Tell Bruce what you have just told me about those creatures,” she instructed. Her heart pounded with fear and she glanced out the window to see if any of them were out there right then.

Bruce sighed when the children had finished telling him about zombies. “Zombies are not real,” he reassured everybody. “They’re just made up monsters that people tell stories about to scare one another. Like vampires, or werewolves.” When he saw the blank looks on their faces, he continued. “You don’t have those in Asgard, do you?”

“I have never heard of these things,” Sigyn replied. “But we do not tell stories of made up monsters. We tell tales of real creatures so that we might learn how to fight them one day if we must.” She felt foolish for having been scared of nothing and hoped Bruce wouldn’t think she was silly.

Bruce shrugged apologetically. “We don’t have monsters here, but we like to tell scary stories,” he replied. “Sorry that it frightened you.”

Sigyn took a deep breath. “It is all right,” she replied in a dignified manner. “And supper is ready, so please ask Brynja to come up.”

After the meal ended, the boys went outside to play with the other children. Sigyn and Brynja spent the evening watching picture shows while Bruce sat next to Brynja and explained to them what they were watching.

Life fell into a comfortable routine after that. The boys continued their schooling, and Brynja joined them. She proved to be quite capable of learning to read and write. Sigyn was proud of herself for being able to teach her friend. After lessons ended for the day, the boys spent as much time out of doors playing with friends as Sigyn would allow. They proved to be very popular among the neighborhood children. At times, Sigyn would permit them to invite one of the children to their home for the midday meal and to play. Brynja spent most of her time with Bruce and from what Sigyn could observe, he seemed to enjoy it. Her heart swelled with happiness for them the first time Bruce invited Brynja to join him outside late one night for stargazing. Sigyn did her best to stay occupied and not think about Loki and how much she missed him. Three weeks had passed when that comfortable routine was interrupted.

Sigyn was seated on the front porch one early afternoon, mending clothes and enjoying the warm sun, when a car pulled up in front of the house. Two men she had never seen before got out and walked into the yard. Her eyes grew wide as they approached the stairs to the house. She set her mending down and stood up.

“Are you Loki’s wife?” one of the men called out to her.

With that, she gasped and ran into the house, locking the door behind her. If she had had her dagger with her, she wouldn’t have run away from the men, but she was currently defenseless against them. “Bruce!” she screamed while running across the house towards the basement. “Bruce!”

Bruce had run up to see what was the matter by the time she arrived at the basement door. “What is it?” he asked. “Is somebody hurt?”

“There are two men on the porch and they asked if I was Loki’s wife,” Sigyn replied, her heart pounding so hard that she began to feel faint. “What if they are those Loki feared might come after us in retribution? How else would they know about him and who I was?”

Bruce frowned and looked towards the door. He helped Sigyn into one of the kitchen chairs and got her a glass of water. “You stay here and I’ll go see what they want,” he said calmly. He slowly walked to the front door and Sigyn sipped her water as she watched him. Bruce looked through the peep hole in the door and groaned audibly.

“What is the matter? Should I get my dagger?” Sigyn called out to him.

“No, it’s nothing dangerous,” Bruce replied. “Just very, very obnoxious…” With that, he opened the door. “Tony, Steve, hello…”

The two men stepped into the house and began to speak with Bruce as if they knew him. Brynja joined Sigyn in the kitchen a minute later and they remained there quietly until Bruce called out to them. “There are some people who want to meet you,” he said reassuringly.

Sigyn stood up and walked to the doorway. She peeked out into the living room and saw him smiling at her. “It’s all right, come say hello,” he urged her. She slowly left the kitchen and walked over to him. “These are some of the people Thor and I fought with in New York.”

He introduced each man to her in turn. Steve Rogers was a handsome young man with an attractive body. She was reminded somewhat of Thor, though Steve was clean-shaven and had closely-shorn hair. He seemed to evoke earnestness and honesty which she found appealing. The other man, Tony Stark, was older and did not have a sense of earnestness about him. He was handsome as well, though he carried himself in a fashion that indicated he knew this. He ogled her and made her feel very uncomfortable.

“So it’s true, Loki really does have a wife?” Tony asked Bruce as they sat down on the sofa. “I heard rumors going around and decided I had to see for myself. I called Steve up and he was so interested he had to come with me.”

“No, you said we were going to drive out to a hospital to visit sick children,” Steve said with a frown. “I believe this might constitute as kidnapping.”

“Potato, potahto…” Tony replied with a shrug.

The two men were bickering when Sigyn heard footsteps on the front stairs. Nari and Vali burst into the house a moment later and bounded over to their mother. “Mor, we saw a car in front of the house,” Nari said, looking excited. Vali looked cautiously at the strangers on the sofa and leaned in against Sigyn.

“Boys, we have visitors,” Sigyn said. “Where are your manners?” She introduced them to Steve and Tony, and the boys politely bowed to each of them.

Tony looked closely at Nari. “He’s the spitting image of Loki,” he declared. “It’s eerie.”

Bruce stepped over and placed a hand on each boy’s shoulder. “Boys, you might have heard your uncle Thor talk about these men. Steve Rogers is Captain America and Tony Stark is Iron Man,” he said, smiling down at the children.

Both boys gasped. “I wish to see your shield,” Vali said eagerly as he walked over to stand in front of Steve.

“It’s in the car,” Steve replied with a frown.

“I thought you’d be bigger,” Nari said to Tony, eyeing him carefully and looking slightly disappointed.

“You’re thinking of the suit,” Tony informed him with a frown of his own.

“Where is the suit?”

“In the car.”

“I wish to see the suit!” Nari cried. “Will you show us?”

“We—ll…”

“Oh please, Man of Iron!” Vali added.

Tony leaned forward and patted Vali on the head. “That is adorable the way you same my name backwards,” he replied before standing up. “All right, I’ll go get it.” The boys cheered as he left the house to return to the car.

Brynja came into the living room to see what all the noise was about and was standing next to Bruce when Tony returned with a briefcase in one hand and Steve’s shield in the other. He tossed the shield to Steve, who easily caught it. Tony turned and looked at the women standing on either side of Bruce, and grinned wickedly. “Look at you, surrounded by two hot chicks in one house,” he said. “Talk about a rough assignment…”

Bruce frowned at him. “Tony, don’t be so crass,” he replied.

“Crass is the only way he knows how to be,” Steve said, setting the shield down on the sofa next to him and folding his arms.

Tony rolled his eyes and didn’t respond, but set his briefcase down on the floor. “Step back, boys,” he warned before opening the briefcase. They could see the red and gold suit inside. He clicked the button on the bracelet on his wrist and the suit began to make whirring noises and started bouncing around in the briefcase. The suit unfolded and attached itself to his body.

Nari and Vali gaped, wide-eyed at him, unable to speak. Sigyn and Brynja were equally amazed and it took a few seconds for them to recover. Sigyn began to clap and soon the others joined in. “How amazing!” she said as the children walked around Tony to see the suit from all angles.

“Thank you,” he replied from inside the suit.

Nari rapped his knuckles on one of Tony’s legs. “It _is_ amazing!” he cried. “He is a metal man!”

“Blast something!” Vali demanded. He ran into the kitchen and came back with an empty cracker box. “Blast this.”

Tony turned his head towards Bruce. “What do you think?” he asked. Bruce shrugged his shoulders and Tony nodded. “All right kid, throw it up in the air,” he instructed.

Vali tossed the box up as high as he could and Tony used his right hand to shoot at it. A beam of energy shot out and the box disintegrated before the crowd’s eyes. Vali and Nari went wild, screaming, jumping, and running around the room. Sigyn and Brynja applauded once again. “It did not even leave ashes behind,” Brynja commented.

Steve stood up and grabbed his shield. He held it out to show the children and Vali ran over to look at it closely. “You really are the Captain of America,” he breathed. He reached out and brushed his fingers against the shield. “This is the strongest shield in all the Nine Realms,” he whispered. “Farbror told me that even Mjolnir cannot beat it…”

Nari stopped gazing at the Iron Man suit and walked over to examine the shield. “Really? Oooh…” He touched the shield as well.

“You both fought with my farbror, didn’t you?” Vali asked.

“Yes, and with Bruce,” Steve replied. “We all worked together. Teamwork.”

“And you were fighting our far,” Vali continued.

Steve opened his mouth to reply and quickly closed it without saying anything. He looked over at Sigyn and frowned. Sigyn sat down on the sofa and looked carefully at her sons. “You know that your far has been unwell lately,” she said slowly. “He has been very angry and it made him do some bad things. These men stopped him from doing those things and Thor brought him back home where he can be looked after.”

Vali nodded and bit his lip. Nari blushed and looked down at his feet. “Far has shamed us,” he murmured. He looked up at Tony and Steve and bowed to them. “I apologize for my far. He is not himself.”

Steve’s frown deepened. “You don’t have to apologize for Loki’s behavior,” he said firmly. “Nobody holds it against you or anybody else but him.”

Tony flipped his face mask up so he could speak more clearly. “He’s right kid, your father made his own choices and it has nothing to do with you. Fathers generally disappoint their children and the sooner you learn that lesson, the better off you’ll be.”

Sigyn furrowed her brow and frowned. “What Tony is trying to say is that your far has made some bad choices, but we will always love him and be there for him, right?” Vali and Nari nodded in unison. “All right, why don’t you boys go back outside and play with your friends,” she continued. “But remember not to tell anybody about Steve or Tony being here. We must keep ourselves protected, remember?”

“Yes mor,” they replied before shouting out farewells to Tony and Steve. They ran back out of the house as Tony began to remove the Iron Man suit.

Bruce looked at Tony and folded his arms. “Well I’m sure you have a long drive back to the city. Don’t feel you have to stay long on our account,” he said coolly.

“Oh, but we just got here,” Tony replied with a grin. He walked over to Sigyn and put an arm around her shoulders. “I thought we could get to know each other better. I mean really, Loki’s wife? The stories I’m sure you could tell us about him…”

Sigyn felt herself begin to panic again when Tony put his arm around her. She didn’t want a strange man to touch her, even if he did fight with Bruce and Thor. “Please do not touch me,” she said quietly, trying to pull away from him.

“Tony, let go of her,” Steve said. “You’re being really inappropriate. Why don’t we get out of here? We saw what we wanted to see…”

Tony moved his arm off of Sigyn’s shoulder and she moved over next to Bruce. She felt safer with him. “All right, all right, we can go now,” Tony muttered as he picked up his briefcase. He turned to look at Bruce. “Maybe you can drive into the city sometime and we can catch up.” He shook Bruce’s hand and nodded to the women before leaving the house. Steve made a more polite farewell before following Tony outside.

When they had driven away, Bruce sighed. “I’ll be in the basement,” he said after a moment. “Brynja, why don’t you keep Sigyn company? I need to be alone for a while…”

Brynja frowned, but nodded her head. “All right Bruce,” she replied quietly. She turned and watched him walk away. When he was gone from her sight, she turned back to Sigyn. “Shall I help you fold laundry, my lady? Or shall I start supper?”

Sigyn shook her head. “Let us go outside for a walk and enjoy the sunshine,” she replied.

Brynja smiled. “Very well,” she replied. She and Sigyn set off through the neighborhood, arm-in-arm and discussed the events of the day. Both agreed that Tony Stark was an ill-mannered man, but that Steve Rogers was very handsome and a little more polite.

“He is very handsome,” Brynja said as they walked. “I suppose you might regret your decision not to take a lover while you’re here…”

Sigyn laughed. “Brynja! You are wicked! Although I have no doubt that Steve Rogers would make an excellent lover, I don’t think he would be interested in taking me as one. I am the wife of his enemy after all.”

“Seems to me that would make it even _more_ enticing…”

“Well, we shall see. He may never return, and that would be that.”

“True. I just don’t want you to be lonely while you’re here. If you find a man who strikes your fancy, I don’t think you should hesitate to take him as a lover.”

Sigyn walked in silence and mulled over Brynja’s words. The boys were older and the house was smaller than the palace. It would be more difficult to hide her activities from them here than it had been when she’d taken Thor as a lover. And Thor had only been for one night. It hadn’t been long-term. What would it be like to have one that lasted longer than that? Loki interrupted her thoughts before she could figure it out.

“Don’t get any ideas, my wife,” he chided her from afar. “I would hate to have to witness you lying with another man. _That_ man in particular.”

“Oh, you know I won’t,” she reassured him. “Though he is quite nice to gaze upon.”

“Everybody loves Captain America…He’s just so perfect and polite…”

“Quit fretting, my love. I promise I will not do anything with him.”

“Good. The next time you lie with a man, it will be me…And I still might have to give you a spanking for being naughty and straying from me that one time.”

“Well, I shall hold you to that, my husband…”

“You know, my absence really has made you much bolder. I’m not saying it was worth being parted from you for that, but I do enjoy it nonetheless.”

“Well, I shall try and continue to grow in my boldness so that when we reunite, you can enjoy it in all its splendor.”

“I shall hold you to that, my wife.”

Sigyn cut herself off from her discussion with Loki when Brynja began to talk again, though she could feel him remain with her for the rest of the walk. She knew he was so bored in his cell that it was good that he could live through her at times.

He had withdrawn by the time she returned to the house to work on supper. Apparently preparing fish stew was not his idea of fun. Brynja folded laundry until the meal was ready and called the boys in from playing. Sigyn slipped down into the basement. “Bruce? Supper is ready. Would you like to join us or shall I bring a bowl down to you?”

Bruce was seated in a comfortable plush chair in one of the corners. He was reading a book and closed it when she approached him. “I think I’ll join you,” he replied, standing up and following her up the stairs and into the kitchen.

Nari and Vali talked through the entire meal about meeting Iron Man and Captain America. “I wish I had a suit like the Man of Iron,” Nari said between bites. “Farbror says it can fly and I would woosh through the air in it.”

“Would you help people in need the way the Man of Iron does?” Sigyn asked.

“Sometimes,” Nari replied. “But mostly I would just woosh. I wish to fly!”

Bruce smiled. “Have you ever heard the story of Icarus?” he asked. When everybody shook their heads, he told them the story of the boy with wax wings, who flew too close to the sun and fell when the wings melted.

“Poor Icarus,” Vali sighed when the story ended. “What a tragedy…”

“Was he a friend of yours?” Sigyn asked.

“No, he’s from Greek mythology,” Bruce explained. “There are about a thousand different stories I could tell if you were interested.” Everybody agreed that they would like to hear more, and from that night on, Bruce told them a new story each night at dinner.

Nari and Vali came to look forward to Bruce’s stories. They soon became the highlight of their day. Their lives were full with studies and playing and getting familiar with Midgardian customs. They enjoyed all of it.

Sigyn liked keeping up with their schooling, but also liked having more time to herself when they joined her friends. She had time to work on household chores and her own studies in magic. Bruce was fascinated by it and often watched as she practiced. “There must be a scientific explanation for it,” he would say. “I just don’t know what it is…”

Life fell into a comfortable rhythm as the summer passed. The boys put the sprinkler Bruce bought them to good use on the hotter days, and learned about the pleasures of eating popsicles and drinking lemonade on muggy August afternoons. They were liked by everybody in the neighborhood and never lacked for companionship. Sigyn delighted at their popularity and loved playing hostess to the neighbor kids who came over for lunch.

Sigyn wasn’t exactly sure when Brynja and Bruce would become lovers, but one night she saw them stargazing as they were wont to do on clear nights, and the next morning when she was getting up for the day, she saw Brynja slip out of Bruce’s sleeping chamber and attempt to return to hers unnoticed. She blushed when she was caught, but Sigyn gave her a hug and whispered her congratulations. “Was it as delightful as you’d hoped?”

“Oh yes, my lady,” she whispered in return. “He was so tender and kind. He claimed he was nervous!”

“Will you share his bed from now on?”

“If he will have me.”

Sigyn hugged her again. “Let me know if you wish me to give you a spell to prevent you from becoming with child,” she offered before leaving to make breakfast. She hummed to herself while cooking and smiled happily at her sons when they bounded into the kitchen to watch her.

“You’re very happy today,” Vali observed.

Sigyn was unsure how to explain to her sons about Bruce and Brynja or if she even should. “Yes, it is a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” she replied.

“Very,” Nari agreed.

Brynja joined them a short time after that, and grinned at the boys. “Hello Nari and Vali, how are you today?” she said in greeting.

“Very well,” Vali said. “You are in good spirits too. It must be the weather.”

When Bruce entered the room and took his usual seat at the head of the table, he acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Good morning, everybody,” he said as Sigyn handed him a cup of coffee.

“Good morning Bruce,” she said with a grin. Bruce looked at her carefully before turning his gaze on Brynja and frowning slightly. Brynja flushed and shrugged her shoulders. Bruce rolled his eyes and looked back at Sigyn. “I trust that you are well this morning?” she asked coyly.

“Never better, what’s for breakfast?”

“Bacon, eggs, and toast,” Sigyn replied. “Your favorite.”

“Thank you.” He turned his attention to the boys and asked them about their lessons as Sigyn finished cooking.

That afternoon, when Bruce was working in the basement and the boys were playing outside, Sigyn and Brynja took another walk outside and discussed the events of the previous night. Brynja discussed some of the intimate details, though Sigyn could tell she was keeping some of it to herself. She respected her friend’s desire for privacy and didn’t pry. “When it was over, he kissed me,” Brynja said quietly. “I had never been kissed like that before, my lady. He was passionate, but tender at the same time. He did not grope at me like the men in the dining halls do,” she said with a smile.

Sigyn thought back to when she had been a serving girl in the dining halls. The menfolk had let their hands wander as she had filled their tankards of ale. She remembered one instance, an older man had brazenly slipped his hand down her tunic and cupped one of her breasts before pinching her bottom and laughing when she’d scurried away from him. Another time, a man had grabbed her by the waist and placed her on his lap. He slipped a hand under her tunic and tried to touch her between her legs, but she had slapped him in the face and jumped down from his lap. She had quickly learned that drunken warriors were rather frightening to deal with. This had all been before Loki had begun to pay attention to her. She had found his gentleness refreshing, and this was how she knew of Brynja’s good fortune.

“I am so happy for you,” she replied. “A man of passion, yet who is still gentle is a rare find indeed. I hope you two enjoy the pleasure it brings your lives. And do you need me to give you a spell so you don’t become pregnant? Or do you wish to bear his child?”

“I do not think he wants children, or at least not right now,” Brynja replied. “But he had his own method of preventing it, so a spell is not necessary.”

Sigyn looked skeptical. “How can a man know how to prevent a pregnancy? It’s women’s magic.”

“He does not use magic.”

“What does he do?” Brynja proceeded to explain exactly what he did and Sigyn’s skepticism grew. “I do not think this is the best method to use. What if it should break? Or what if he puts it on incorrectly? You would be helpless to stop his seed and then you could become pregnant. I think I should do the spell and then you will not have to worry.”

“I suppose you are right,” Brynja conceded. “How often do you have to perform the spell?”

“Only once and then it will last until you wish for me to reverse it. In case you and Bruce do want a child one day. Frigga taught me the spell after the boys were born and Loki and I were not ready for more children, but still wished to be intimate.”

“Well, if it is Frigga’s spell, it is bound to be a very good one.” Their discussion turned to Frigga and life on Asgard.

“Did you know, Frigga told me that before her kinswomen perfected midwifery, life was very different? Women had not yet perfected the magic for preventing pregnancies and so they could not stop having children. Women would have twenty or thirty children in their lifetime and there were too many people in Asgard. Women did not always want to have that many children but they were helpless to stop it, because you know how men are…”

Brynja rolled her eyes and nodded her head. “It seems to me that there are only three things men are interested in—warring, drinking, and mating.”

“Exactly. So it was up to the women to solve the problem. Frigga’s kinswomen were very skilled at magic and herblore and very wise in the workings of the body, but it still took several generations to perfect it. Men do not know how to do the spell, only women. And I would be honored to perform it on you if you wish.”

“That would be wonderful,” Brynja replied. “Perhaps you could do it tonight before bed.”

“Come to my chamber just before you go to Bruce’s and I shall do it.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

They continued their walk until it became too hot to be outside and retreated back into the house. Bruce had introduced them to iced tea and they always kept some in the refrigerator to refresh themselves on hot afternoons.

Brynja stayed upstairs with Sigyn instead of joining Bruce in the basement. “I want to give him time to himself,” she explained. “I am sure he knows we’ve been discussing things and must feel uncomfortable. He is terribly shy, you know.”

“He does tend to keep to himself most of the time.”

“I’ve never known a quieter man before.”

“Loki can be very quiet at times. When he was studying his spells, he could be very quiet and I had to coax him to speak.” Sigyn sat on the shaded back porch and let her mind drift back to thoughts of the happier, earlier days of her marriage. Before worries about succession and the knowledge of his Jotun heritage had ruined everything. She supposed things could be worse, but they were not how they should be. If Loki was well and with her, it would make all the difference. But it mattered not now, what was done was done, and the only thing to do about it was to deal with it.

Brynja looked at Sigyn and patted her knee. “You miss Loki terribly, don’t you?” she asked.

Sigyn’s bottom lip began to quiver and tears filled her eyes. As she nodded her head, the tears spilled down her cheeks. “I feel as if I shall die if I do not see him soon!” she cried. “The hurt and the loneliness is too great to bear for much longer.”

Brynja threw her arms around Sigyn and held her closely. “Perhaps I can convince Bruce to let you share our bed,” she said quietly. “Would you like that?”

Sigyn sniffled and shook her head. “What you two have is special and I don’t think Bruce would be comfortable with that,” she replied. “But I thank you for the offer.”

The women sat in silence for some time before going inside to prepare dinner. The boys ran inside when Brynja called to them and they devoured all the food on the table before Bruce even arrived upstairs. “What have you been doing all day?” Sigyn asked, shocked at how much they had consumed. “You are going to wind up fat like Volstagg one day if you eat like that all the time…”

“Volstagg is ‘robust’,” Nari replied before belching loudly. “We were running all day, mor. We were starving!”

“We were almost dead with hunger,” Vali added as he patted his now-distended stomach.

“Well, go back outside and run around some more,” Sigyn instructed them. “No more food for tonight.” The boys whined for a moment, but quickly ran back outside when they saw their mother scowling at them.

“We will have to make another supper, Bruce,” Brynja said apologetically. “You can go back downstairs if you wish, or you can join us here.”

Bruce looked at the two women and seemed flustered. “Why don’t I go into the living room and you two can prepare the meal together?” Sigyn suggested before walking out of the kitchen. Bruce and Brynja worked side-by-side making dinner after that.

Sigyn sat in the living room and felt ill at-ease. She felt out of place. Her children were thriving and enjoying their new surroundings and did not need her as much as when they’d been younger. Brynja had found love with Bruce and Sigyn was stuck in the middle. What had been a perfect balance of work for her at the start of the summer now seemed too out of balance. She wished there was more for her to do here, but she knew not what that might be. These were the times she wished she had more children. A baby who needed all her attention would cure her boredom. If only she had managed to conceive before Loki had left them, but it was not to be. There would be no more children for her and it was time she accepted that.

As she stared out the window, she thought about how trapped she suddenly felt. The house was lovely, but she was completely dependent on Bruce to read things to her or take her shopping. With Brynja here, there wasn’t even that much housework to keep her occupied. She could only knit so many blankets or darn so many socks before she went mad. There had to be something she could fill her afternoons with besides watching picture shows.

That evening, as she joined Bruce and Brynja for supper, she looked at Bruce carefully. “I was wondering if you might teach me to read and write Midgardian letters,” she said hopefully. “I should like to have more to do with my time here and perhaps reading would be a good way to do that…”

Bruce looked surprised to hear this. “I would be happy to give you lessons,” he replied. “Reading and writing are definitely good at keeping a person occupied. There are so many books available to read. You’ll really enjoy it, I think.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

Bruce started her lessons that evening, using one of the boys’ slates to write on. Sigyn was amazed at how different the English alphabet was from her own. She made shapes and figures that were completely unknown to her, and found that her hand was sore by the end of the lesson. “I know it’s hard at first, but you did a great job,” Bruce assured her before retiring for the night.

Sigyn called Brynja to join her in the living room and quickly performed the spell for her. Brynja thanked her before running off to join Bruce. Once she was alone, she walked out onto the porch and summoned the boys home for the night.

“You two are filthy again!” she cried in dismay as Nari and Vali traipsed into the house. “All right, let me pour you a bath.”

Both boys moaned. “Mor, in Midgard, boys our age take our own baths,” Nari informed her.

“Yes mor, we can do it ourselves,” Vali added. They began to run upstairs.

“But…don’t run it too hot,” she called out after them, fretting that they might hurt themselves if the water was too warm.

“We know!” they cried in unison.

Sigyn sat down on the sofa and folded her arms. Her children did not need her anymore. Nobody really needed her here. She felt rejected for some reason, and tears stung her eyes. “I need you there, my love,” Loki spoke into her mind. “I can feel your hurt right now as if it was my own. You are overwrought, but you must stay strong, my wife.”

“I feel so useless and helpless here,” Sigyn replied. “I wish you would allow us to return to Asgard.”

“I do not feel confident enough to permit that, and neither does Thor. He does not speak to me, nobody does, but if he has not contacted you, then he must not think it is the right time for you to return yet.”

Sigyn sighed and closed her eyes. She tried to envision Loki while they talked. “You must feel as helpless as I do,” she said. “I am sorry you are so miserable in your prison cell.”

“I believe that is the point of a prison cell, but I appreciate your sympathy.”

“I think in a way, we’re both in prison cells right now…”

“I believe you may be right, my Sjalsfrande.”

Sigyn heard splashing and loud laughter from the washing room upstairs and stood up to investigate. “I must go see what the children are up to,” she said before going upstairs.

“I shall stay with you if you don’t mind,” Loki replied. “I have a feeling this may be rather amusing…”

Sigyn knocked on the door to the washing room. “Is everything all right?” she asked as she opened the door. Her jaw dropped open as she saw water spill over the edge of the tub and nearly everything in the room, including her children, was covered in bubbles. “What has happened?”

“Billy’s mor gave us a bottle of bubble bath and he said it was really fun,” Vali explained. “It works really good, doesn’t it?”

Nari stood up from where he’d been sitting in the tub and held his arms up, amused at the layer of bubbles that covered him. “I am the naked bubble monster!” he cried as he stepped out of the tub and walked over towards Sigyn. “I am going to get you!”

Sigyn laughed at the sight and held out a hand to keep Nari from being able to approach her too closely. “No, Nari, I don’t want to get all soapy,” she said firmly.

While she was busy keeping Nari at bay, Vali slipped out of the tub, also covered in bubbles. He approached his mother from behind and wrapped his arms around her. “I got you!” he cried, laughing hysterically.

Sigyn squealed and let her arms down, so Nari was able to hug her from the front. They collapsed to the floor in a pile of bubbles. All three were laughing uncontrollably. They were startled a minute later by a loud voice from the doorway. “What in the world is going on?”

They looked up to see Bruce watching them curiously. “Oh, you boys made Bruce wake up!” Sigyn cried as she tried her best to untangle them from her. “I am sorry we woke you, Bruce.”

“Don’t worry, we—I wasn’t asleep yet,” Bruce assured her. He bent down and helped them all up to their feet. “So…fun with bubble bath, eh?”

“It’s so much fun!” Nari cried.

“It is terribly messy, though,” Sigyn replied. “You boys will have to clean up this mess.”

Vali sighed and walked into the middle of the washing room. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before whispering something inaudible. The bubbles instantly disappeared from every place they had been, leaving a much cleaner, though still wet, washing room.

“My son is very talented already for one so young,” Loki spoke pridefully into Sigyn’s mind.

The boys were ushered back into the tub to finish their bath as Bruce retreated to his chamber. “I want you washed up and ready for your nightclothes in five minutes,” Sigyn instructed before shutting the door.

She prepared their beds and brought their clothes to the washing room for them and when she arrived, they were cleaned, dried, and had drained the tub and mopped up the floor. “I am very proud to see that you cleaned up your mess,” she said with a smile. She helped them into their nightclothes and went back to their room to tuck them in and tell them a story. By the time she turned out the light and left their chamber, she was exhausted.

“The boys are as much a handful as they ever have been,” Loki observed as she changed into her own nightclothes. She glanced at herself in the mirror before slipping her nightgown on, and Loki quickly changed the subject. “My love, do not move,” he commanded. “I can see your reflection in the mirror as if it was through my own eyes.”

“Oh?” she replied with a sultry smile.

“You are as attractive as ever, my Sjalsfrande. If not more. It has been far too long since we lay together, after all…”

“I wish I could see your unclothed form, my husband,” Sigyn said with a frown. “I don’t suppose you have a mirror in your cell, do you?”

“No, but I do have a large window that looks out to the other cells and the guards. It would be quite a display for them if I stripped off my clothing for you.”

“I suppose I shall have to wait until we are properly reunited to see your lovely form,” Sigyn said in a mournful tone.

“But I don’t have to wait to see yours,” Loki said. “In fact, I think this should be a daily occurrence. When you rise for the day and prepare for sleep at night, I wish for you to step in sight of the mirror so that I might feast upon your loveliness.”

“Oh Loki, you are incorrigible,” Sigyn chided him before slipping her nightgown on. “I am going to sleep now, but you’re welcome to share my dreams if you wish.”

“I do wish to, for I am so terribly bored here,” Loki replied. “Sleep well, my love, and I shall help keep any nightmares at bay.”


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The summer season ends and with the fall comes the start of the holiday season. Still so many new things for the Asgardians to experience on Midgard...Also, Bruce babysits Nari, Vali, and their friend. What could possibly go wrong?

Loki shared Sigyn’s mind more and more as the weeks passed. She felt comforted by his presence and helped her life and hoped her life was interesting enough to keep him occupied. As the vernal season began to fade into autumn, her life changed yet again as the Midgardian children returned to their schooling and Nari and Vali could no longer play out of doors all day long and no longer played late into the evening.

The boys were terribly disappointed to have to wait for the weekend for their playmates. Some even left to return to their homes in New York and were no longer around to play with at all. Sigyn had to find more for them to do during the day. “If only we could continue your weapons training,” she said one morning at breakfast. “Bruce, do you know anything about weaponry? Nari excels in all forms, sword-fighting, hand-to-hand combat, archery, axe-work…”

Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’m not really a weapons kind of guy,” he replied. “And any of the SHIELD agents who might be good at that stuff are going to be too busy to help…”

Sigyn looked disappointed and sighed. “I suppose the boys will just have to catch up when we return to Asgard.”

That evening, Billy, the boys’ best friend, invited them over to his house to watch a movie and they were very excited at the prospect. “May we go, mor?” Nari asked. “He says they’re having pizza for supper. I don’t know what that is, but I wish to try it.”

Sigyn gave her permission and they went off that night to their friend’s house. They returned home that night brimming with happiness and excitement. “Pizza is a wonderful food!” Vali declared. “You must try it some time, mor.”

“And what movie did you watch?” Bruce asked from his seat next to Brynja on the sofa.

“It was a story about a boy who was being bullied at school and he found a mentor who taught him a really neat way to defend himself. It is called ‘karate’ and I have never seen anything like it before,” Nari explained. “I wish to learn how to do it.”

“Now that is something I could look into,” Bruce replied. “I’m sure there’s a place to enroll the boys in martial arts training. I’ll look around in the morning.”

Bruce was true to his word and used his computer to research the next morning. “Good news,” he announced at the breakfast table. “There’s a studio just in town that does karate lessons for kids and they have a session beginning in a week. There are still spaces to enroll. Would you like to do it? It’s a commitment, three evenings a week…”

Sigyn looked at her sons. “Would you truly like to do this? You must be serious about it because Bruce will have to drive you back and forth and that is a lot of his time. You don’t want to waste it.”

“Oh yes, mor, we really do,” Vali cried.

“I cannot wait!” Nari said, wriggling in his seat.

“All right, I’ll sign you two up,” Bruce said with a smile. “We can go out today to get the clothes you’ll need too.” The boys were nearly too excited to finish their food, but Sigyn made them finish before beginning their lessons for the day.

That afternoon, Bruce took the boys out to buy their clothes for the karate lessons and Sigyn spent time practicing her writing. She had continued to make great progress under Bruce’s tutelage, and could now write simple words and read some children’s books that Bruce had purchased for her. Her favorite was a silly story about dogs having a party in a tree and trying on various hats. She prided herself at being able to read it to her boys as a bedtime story.

The boys returned home that afternoon with white robes to wear for their lessons. At dinner that night, they talked nonstop about their adventures that afternoon with Bruce, who himself looked rather exhausted. “Bruce bought us hot cocoa for a treat and it was delicious,” Vali said, his eyes beaming.

“Yes, Bruce is the best!” Nari exclaimed.

Sigyn smiled and patted Bruce’s hand. “We were very lucky that we got to stay with you when we came here,” she said.

That night, when she went to bed, Loki was sulking. “I think sometimes the boys look to Banner as a father,” he said. “ _I_ am their far…”

“Oh, do not worry, my love,” Sigyn replied. “Bruce is kind to them, that is all. They appreciate it. They like the attention.”

“You were fawning over him tonight at supper,” Loki continued to pout. “Do not think of taking him as a lover. I could not bear to have to witness that.”

“Not to worry, my husband. Brynja has taken him as a lover and I don’t intend to interfere.”

“Good…”

She fell asleep and Loki was in her dreams the whole night through.

(SCENE)

When the weather began to turn cold, Bruce took everybody out shopping to purchase heavier clothing. “You can’t wear shorts and sundresses anymore,” he commented as they drove into town. “It gets pretty cold this time of year around here.”

They spent several hours picking out heavier clothing and bedding before leaving to eat lunch at a nearby diner. Sigyn was proud to be able to read most of the menu without needing help. She read it to the children and they made their choices for the waitress. Bruce spent the meal telling them about the upcoming holiday season, starting with Halloween.

“Children play dress-up and beg for sweets? That sounds strange to me,” Nari said, wrinkling his nose.

“Most kids find it exciting,” Bruce said. “But you are not obligated to participate if you don’t want to.”

As they left the diner, they ran into their neighbor, Alice, who stopped to talk with them briefly. “Listen, I’m starting to put up my preserves for the winter, and I’d love company if you’d like to join me. I always make way too much, and you can have all the extras if you like.”

Brynja and Sigyn looked at each other before nodding their heads. Neither of them knew what preserves were, but jumped at the chance at social interaction with another woman. “When should we come?”

“Tomorrow, after breakfast. I think you girls will really enjoy it,” Alice said before walking into the diner.

“What are preserves, Bruce?” Brynja asked as they walked back to their van.

“Sometimes people find ways to make food from the harvest last longer without freezing it or refrigeration, so they do things like smoking it or pickling it in brine or using sugar to make it last longer,” Bruce explained. “Don’t they preserve food in Asgard?”

“No, we use magic to keep our food fresh all the time,” Sigyn replied.

Bruce nodded his head, looking impressed. “Well then, I think you’ll find this to be a fun experience that will hopefully be quite tasty as well.”

Sigyn and Brynja grinned at one another at the prospect of their adventure the next day. “But will you be all right looking after the boys?” Sigyn asked Bruce. “Is taking care of children women’s work in Midgard as it is in Asgard? Should I ask if they can go to one of their friend’s houses tomorrow?”

“Sometimes it’s considered women’s work here, but I think I’ll be able to manage it,” Bruce replied. “We’ll do some experiments in the basement that I’m sure they’ll enjoy.”

“Can we invite Billy over too?” Vali asked. “Please? He’s at school all day now and we hardly ever see him…” He looked at Bruce with the saddest face he could muster.

Bruce laughed and nodded his head. “All right, why not?” he replied.

“And maybe we can have pizza for lunch?” Nari asked, grinning.

“Ok, we’ll have pizza,” Bruce promised. “We’ll have a guy’s day-in while the women are out of the house.”

“Mor, did you hear that? We’re ‘guys’!” Nari exclaimed. “That’s the same as being a man grown!”

“You’re still a bit young for that, my son, but you’re getting there,” Sigyn replied while reaching out to brush the dark hair out of his blue eyes. “But I am sure that you will have a wonderful time together on your ‘guy’s day-in’.”

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Sigyn kissed her children before going next door with Brynja. Bruce had advised them to wear clothes that could get dirty, so they had worn jeans and tee shirts accordingly.

The young women were very excited to be helping their neighbor. Neither had ever done anything like making preserves before, and Sigyn found she quite enjoyed it and had a talent for it. Alice showed them how to do everything, and soon, they were engaged in a day of talking and cooking.

Billy came over to join Nari and Vali, and Bruce led them into the basement where he had set up some basic experiments for the children to work on. “Are we going to play Mythbusters?” Billy asked excitedly as Bruce handed out goggles and gloves to everybody.

“Sure, you can be Adam,” Bruce replied with a smile.

“Oh boy!” Billy cried.

Bruce had set up an experiment involving baking soda and vinegar to start off with, and all three boys were highly amused and impressed when the mixture frothed, bubbled, and spilled all over the table. It spread out all over the table and dripped onto the floor. “It smells bad!” Vali exclaimed, pinching his nose.

“That’s the vinegar,” Bruce explained as he tried to mop up the mess. When it was cleaned up, he moved on to more complicated things after that and let each of the boys help him add chemicals or take turns stirring. The day flew by as he was peppered with questions and applause after each experiment.

When he ordered pizza for their lunch, he made sure to order four liters of Diet Coke for another experiment he thought the boys would enjoy. He was shocked at how much pizza three six year old boys could consume and how much fun they could have with the simple joys of a belching contest, to which he was the judge. “I’d have to say Vali’s was the longest, Billy’s was the loudest, and Nari’s was the most creative the way you belched your entire name,” he said as the boys beamed happily.

After lunch, he gave each of them a liter of Diet Coke and took one for himself, and led them outside into the backyard. He pulled out a packet of mint Mentos and demonstrated for them how to open the cap of the soda and drop in one of the candies before standing back and watching as the bottle erupted and shot a stream of frothing soda up into the air. As he had anticipated, the boys went nearly mad with excitement over this.

Each boy took his turn with his bottle and one of the candies as Bruce instructed him from the back porch. “Mine went the highest!” Nari crowed after they had finished. “I’m the winner!”

“All right guys, let’s go inside and warm up,” Bruce said, opening the backdoor and herding the children inside the house. “There’s a few more experiments left to do.”

While Bruce and the children returned to the basement, Sigyn and Brynja were canning tomatoes and helping Alice make raspberry preserves. The kitchen was warm and full of wonderful smells. They had learned the proper way to clean and sanitize the jars and place them in boiling water before filling them with the food. Sigyn was able to read the names of ingredients and hand them to Brynja, to keep Brynja’s illiteracy hidden from Alice.

When the tomatoes had been canned and the raspberries preserved, they turned their attention to pickling. Alice showed them how to prepare cucumbers, green beans, and carrots for pickling. The strong scent of the vinegar made the women cough, for vinegar was not a normal ingredient used in Asgard. Sigyn loved the beautiful colors of the food after they went into the jars and were sealed. She wondered if it would taste as good as it looked.

At the end of the afternoon, Sigyn and Brynja were each given as many jars as they could carry to take home. They were invited to return the next weekend to continue the project. Over the course of the next month, they helped dry fruit, make beef jerky, and even homemade soap, and loved every minute of it.

The boys came running upstairs and grabbed jars from the women’s hands to help bring into the kitchen, upon their return. They each took turns telling Sigyn and Brynja about the experiments they’d done that day.

“The best part was when Bruce showed us how to use the fire extinguisher!” Vali cried.

“That was after he set the table on fire!” Nari added.

“What?” Sigyn gasped.

“Is he all right?” Brynja asked before rushing over to the stairwell.

Bruce met her at the top of the stairs and walked into the kitchen. “It was just a small fire, nothing to worry about,” he said calmly.

“The flames went to the ceiling,” Billy replied.

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Bruce clarified. “Why don’t you boys run upstairs and play for a while?”

When the three children had run off to play, Bruce turned his attention to the women, asking them about their day. Brynja and Sigyn took turns showing him what they had made. He nodded his head approvingly. “This all looks amazing,” he said to them. “We’ll have a real bounty of food to eat this winter.”

Brynja grinned and nodded at him. “We’re going next week too. There shall be even more!”

That night, everybody was thoroughly exhausted and slept soundly well into the next morning. After breakfast, Bruce drove into town and bought a new table for the basement.

(SCENE)

Autumn progressed and everybody was busy and content. Sigyn had enjoyed preserving foods so much that she had begun doing it on her own. Bruce got a book for her from the library and bought all the jars and ingredients she needed to do it. The house constantly smelled of delicious food.

Brynja divided her time between Bruce and taking care of the house. Bruce was busy with her, and his research. He also took the boys to their karate lessons, which they thrived and excelled at. Nari loved the physicality of it, and Vali, the discipline required. They proved to be quick learners and their sensei considered them to be truly gifted students.

“Your sons are quite talented,” he said to Bruce one evening after their lesson. “You should be very proud of them.”

Bruce thanked him before they left. “I bet it feels good to hear such praise,” he said to the boys as they walked to the van.

“Yes, and the sensei does not give us a thrashing if we make a mistake,” Nari replied. “I like him.”

Bruce frowned. “They use corporal punishment on Asgard?” he asked. When the boys looked confused, he explained further. “Physical punishment like hitting you for bad behavior or making mistakes.”

Vali nodded his head. “Far and mor never strike us, but our weapons trainers do,” he replied. “Lady Sif and the Warriors Three all take their turns giving students a thrashing if they deserve it.”

Bruce’s frown deepened. “And your parents don’t try to stop it?”

Vali shrugged. “We should behave better and then it won’t happen,” he replied. “I only ever got one thrashing from Hogun and never misbehaved again. Nari’s had many…”

“But I might not when we go back,” Nari said. “I might behave better then.”

That night, after the children had gone to sleep, Bruce spoke to Sigyn about the conversation he’d had with the boys. “Do their instructors really hit them?” he asked. “That sounds so out of line…”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “They are training to be warriors,” she replied. “They cannot be coddled.”

“But they’re just children.”

“This is how they will learn to win wars. They must learn as soon as they are able. An enemy of the family, or a Frost Giant, is more likely to target the young and vulnerable than he is one who is strong and capable. This is for a child’s safety that they learn the lesson thoroughly and quickly.”

“A man would kill his enemy’s children?”

“Of course,” Sigyn replied as though stating the obvious. “And his wife. Kill a man’s bloodline, and you kill the man.”

Bruce shook his head slowly. “That’s intense,” he said. “Sounds like Game of Thrones…”

“Game of Thrones?” Sigyn asked.

“It’s a series of books,” Bruce explained. “Very violent stories about a power struggle in a kingdom. Lots of killing.”

Sigyn nodded. “It is like the house of Ivar who challenged Odin for his throne. They were exiled from Asgard after Loki, Thor, and I killed Theoric, Ivar’s son.”

“What?” Bruce looked incredulously as Brynja joined them.

“Oh, my lady, you must tell him the tale of the Slaying of Theoric,” she urged Sigyn while wrapping her arms around Bruce’s waist. “It is terribly exciting.”

The three of them sat down on the sofa and Sigyn launched into the long tale about the demise of her former intended.

Bruce was dumbfounded by the end of it. “Hela? Ruler of the underworld? It’s all real?”

“Of course it is real,” Sigyn replied.

Bruce shook his head in wonderment. “Unbelievable,” he murmured. “So that’s why you were wearing a dagger the first day you were here. Life in Asgard seems rough…Real monsters, gods, pillaging and plundering…Very Viking.”

“Asgard is a wonderful home, but it is not without its dangers. It is why we expect much from our children and everybody must be able to defend themselves. We may not always have somebody to come to our aid.”

Bruce nodded his head. “I understand now,” he replied. “I can’t believe somebody who was almost your husband tried to force himself on you. No wonder Thor and Loki went after him. I probably would do the same thing if somebody tried to do that to my wife.”

Brynja looked at him sharply. “What?” she asked.

“I mean, _if_ I had a wife, that’s how I’d react,” he quickly clarified.

Brynja smiled and nodded in understanding.

Sigyn went to bed shortly afterwards, her mind drifting back to her first days as a newlywed with Loki. They had enjoyed such happy times. Sometimes it was difficult to see where she was now compared to where she’d been then. Her life had changed so much. Some for the better, some for the much worse. Her heart ached with missing Loki when she fell asleep that night.

(SCENE)

As Halloween approached, neither Nari nor Vali had much interest in it until their friend Billy began to get excited about it and told them all the fun things about the holiday. With their best friend excited about it, they became so as well. And when Nari ran across a Thor Halloween costume at the store one day, he insisted on wearing it for trick-or-treating. Vali picked out a Captain America costume for himself and was quite happy about it. He and Nari ran around the house that night, hitting one another with the plastic versions of Mjolnir and the shield. “It’s not heavy like the real Mjolnir,” Nari explained to Bruce. “Farbror is very strong.”

Bruce nodded in agreement. “Yes he is…”

“One day I shall be strong enough to wield Mjolnir myself,” Nari exclaimed. “It will belong to me for good when I am king. I just let my farbror use it for now…”

“Oh, I see,” Bruce replied, nodding understandingly. “That’s very nice of you.”

Sigyn smiled and laughed when she saw her costumed sons. “I wish Thor and Steve Rogers could see you,” she said. “I think they would approve.”

“I could take a picture of them if you like,” Bruce offered.

“What is that?” Sigyn asked.

Bruce got his camera out of the basement and showed it to her. He explained what it did and how it worked and demonstrated by taking a few shots of the children as they played. Sigyn gasped when he showed her the pictures on the camera. “It is their very likeness!” she cried.

That evening, he printed off a copy of the pictures for Sigyn to keep. “Thank you, Bruce,” she said with a smile. She was unable to keep her eyes off of them. Bruce loaned her the camera and she began to take pictures of the house, the children, the neighborhood, and the foods she was canning. He helped her with the computer and printing and bought her several photo albums to keep the pictures in. She now had another hobby to keep her occupied through the upcoming long winter.

Sigyn was excited to have pictures of her children, and felt sad that she had none of them as infants. “They were such adorable babies,” she said to Bruce. “I wish we had cameras in Asgard.”

“Well, at least you can take pictures of them now,” he replied. “And one day when you go back, you’ll be able to share them with your husband.”

Sigyn smiled and nodded her head. “He will love these,” she said.

When Halloween arrived, Sigyn and Bruce took the boys trick-or-treating, and she insisted on taking the camera with her. She took pictures at every house they stopped at. Brynja stayed at the house to hand out candy to the other children as Bruce had explained. Sigyn and the boys found the event far more thrilling then they had anticipated. The boys received many compliments for their costumes and came home with a bag full of candy each.

Brynja had given away the last of their candy when they returned home. Bruce turned off the porch light and shut and locked the front door. “That’s how people know we’re done,” he explained as he closed the window shades.

The boys upended their bags of candy on the living room floor and combined them into one large mound. They carefully sifted through it, taking out the boxes of raisins and bags of peanuts to keep for themselves. “Bruce, would you like the rest?” Vali offered. “We do not care for Midgardian sweets.”

Bruce knelt down and looked through the candy pile. “I do have a weakness for Payday bars,” he confessed as he sifted out a handful of them. “And I can never say no to a Milky Way bar, especially the dark chocolate kind…” He stood up and set the candy on a nearby table. “Thanks guys, you should give the rest to your friends. They’ll love it.”

The boys offered their candy to Brynja and Sigyn as well. Sigyn chose a few peppermint candies for herself and Brynja took the black licorice. There was still a lot left over for the boys to share with their friends. “Do we get to do Halloween tomorrow night too?” Vali asked Bruce that night as he continued to walk around in his Captain America costume.

“No, Halloween is only one night a year,” Bruce replied. “If you’re still here a year from now, you’ll be able to celebrate again.” Vali looked disappointed, but nodded his head. “But you can wear the costumes whenever you want.”

“Oh boy! Thanks Bruce!” Vali ran off to share the good news with his brother.

That night, both of them slept in their costumes.

(SCENE)

Once Halloween was over, Bruce began telling them about Thanksgiving. He seemed very excited about it and Sigyn and Brynja wanted to make sure it was wonderful for him. He found programs on the television for them to watch that taught them the history of the event, and also how to prepare the foods eaten during the celebration.

“It seems complicated, but I’m sure we’ll manage,” Sigyn commented after she and Brynja finished watching a program about how they should cook the turkey.

“I hope we can prepare it just as Bruce wishes it to be,” Brynja said nervously.

“I am sure it will be wonderful,” Sigyn assured her. “I think this ritual is very interesting,” she continued. “Taking a day out of their lives to thank the gods for their blessings. It is a good thing.”

“I suppose this shall be the first feast of giving thanks in which the gods shall be in attendance,” Brynja replied. “And to have prepared the feast for them.”

“I am not certain that they are referring to us,” Sigyn said. “Midgardians seem to generally refer to a single god, and they do not call him ‘Odin’. Perhaps he hails from a different realm we are not familiar with.”

Brynja nodded in agreement. “Perhaps so.”

When it was two weeks before Thanksgiving, Bruce and Brynja drove to the store to purchase a turkey and all the other ingredients needed for the meal. “If we don’t go now, it’ll all be gone,” Bruce explained before leaving.

Vali and Nari worked on their lessons that morning, but whispered to themselves until Sigyn frowned. “What are you two chittering about?” she asked with a frown.

Vali giggled for a moment before answering. “Bruce and Brynja, they are lovers, are they not?”

Sigyn opened her mouth and promptly closed it again. What should she say to them? Had the time come from them to learn about the relations of men and women? Finally, she spoke. “Yes, they are lovers.”

“We knew it!” Nari replied with a laugh. “They are always gazing upon one another.”

“Will Brynja give Bruce a son?” Vali asked.

“I do not think Bruce wishes to have a child,” Sigyn replied.

“I thought it was the desire of all men to have many children,” Nari said, looking confused. “I intend to father at least ten children when I am old enough.”

“Ten children…my, that is ambitious,” Sigyn replied, trying not to smile. “And what if your wife does not wish to bear ten children?”

“Then I shall take lovers who will bear me more,” Nari replied.

“Oh, I see…” Sigyn replied. “And how many children do you wish to have, Vali?”

Vali considered it for a moment before answering. “Two, one son and one daughter. The son shall be my heir, and the daughter shall keep my wife company.”

“That is very considerate of you,” Sigyn replied.

“When will we be old enough to take lovers, mor?” Nari asked curiously.

“Not for a while yet. You must be at least twice as old as you are now.”

Nari looked disappointed. “It must be rather wonderful or it wouldn’t be so popular,” he said.

“It is a very enjoyable experience. One that you will enjoy all the more for waiting a little bit longer.”

Nari nodded his head. “Very well,” he replied. “I shall wait.”

“I shall wait too,” Vali added.

“Do you have any questions about how a man and a woman lie together?”

Vali shook his head. “No, we remember,” he replied.

“What?”

“We were there when we were conceived,” Nari added. “We remember it.”

“Oh…” Sigyn blushed in spite of her best efforts not to. She had not realized that they would remember their own conception, or the details that went along with it. “All right…I am glad to hear of this, now let us return to your lesson,” she finally said.

The boys dropped the subject and returned to their studies without protesting. When Bruce and Brynja came back later that afternoon, the boys made sure not to bother them. Sigyn had warned them about leaving them alone.

Bruce had picked out a twenty three pound turkey for Thanksgiving, and Sigyn thought it looked funny wrapped up in its plastic package. “I do wish we could get a fresh bird sometime,” she commented. “When I cook chicken, it is so funny that it is already cut up. Do turkeys roam wild here? Perhaps the boys could hunt for one.”

“Yes, we could hunt for one!” Nari cried excitedly.

“I don’t think that’s legal, and I don’t think there are wild turkeys in this region,” Bruce replied. “Sorry guys…”

As Sigyn went into the kitchen to put groceries away, leaving Bruce and the boys alone in the living room, Nari looked disappointed and frowned. “We never get to hunt anything,” he complained. “I wish to hunt for something. A stag perhaps. Farbror would be so proud of me if I took down a whole stag by myself.”

“What about your father? Would he be proud?” Bruce asked.

Nari shrugged. “I do not think he would care. Far loves Vali the most. I think he might be proud if Vali did.”

“Far loves you,” Vali replied with a frown. “You know he does.”

“I know, but he loves you the most.”

“I think he loves mor the very most, and us the next most,” Vali said.

Nari nodded in agreement. “He does love mor the very most.”

“Do you wish you could spend more time with your father?” Bruce asked.

“Yes, I miss him,” Vali said. “He taught me magic and kept the Frost Giants out of our room when we were young.”

“And now he is a Frost Giant,” Nari commented.

“Nari hush!” Vali said, reaching over to hit his brother on the arm. “That’s a secret!”

“We can trust Bruce, he’s our friend,” Nari replied while rubbing his arm where Vali had hit him. He turned and looked at Bruce. “Far used to be a very good far to us until he found out that he is a Frost Giant and the Allfather kept it hidden from him for his whole life. And when far found out, he went mad and then he left us. Vali and I are half Frost Giants, you know.”

“I did not know that,” Bruce said, looking bewildered.

“I do not think you should have told Bruce about far’s secret. Far is very ashamed of it.”

“Far has nothing to be ashamed of,” Nari countered. “I am proud to be a half Frost Giant.”

“Well I don’t think it’s something to be proud of,” Vali said, frowning.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are,” Bruce said, looking concerned.

“But what would you do if you found out one day that you were really a hideous monster?” Vali asked.

Bruce took a deep breath and folded his arms. “Well…” he said slowly. “I suppose I would be very upset, and scared, and sad, and confused.”

Vali nodded his head. “That is how I felt. And far does too, only he feels like he ought to die,” he said quietly. “He feels vile and worthless, as though he had fleas crawling all over him and lived in a pit of stinky slime like a bilgesnipe.”

Bruce was quiet for some time after that. He seemed lost in thought and eventually sent the boys to play before retreating to the basement. He emerged that night at supper and quietly told them the truth about himself. Everybody took in his words in silence. Brynja was crying noiselessly by the time he was finished.

“I know how Loki must feel, and how you boys must feel, because I live with the same thing inside of me,” Bruce said, frowning. “It takes a long time to get used to, and you never truly will, but it will get better, I promise.”

Brynja threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Bruce hugged her in return and smiled when she pulled away. “So, you don’t mind being with a guy who’s got a bit of a temper sometimes?”

Brynja laughed and smiled. “I am Asgardian, I am used to temperamental men,” she replied.

Sigyn looked at Bruce and saw no traces of the monster he spoke of. He seemed as kind and gentle as ever, and she felt just as safe around him as before. It must take a lot of anger to turn him into the monster, she thought to herself. “It takes a great deal, trust me,” Loki replied to her thought a moment later.

“You have seen this monster yourself?”

“Yes…It was not a pleasant experience…”

“Was it frightening? Should I keep the children away from him?”

“I was quite concerned at first, but if nobody has set him off yet, it isn’t likely to happen.”

“I will not fret over it then.” Sigyn felt Loki’s mind settle in next to hers and he remained present with her for the rest of the evening.

That night, Bruce stayed upstairs and watched a movie with the rest of the group. He picked out one he thought the boys would enjoy, Mulan, and was surprised at how much Sigyn and Brynja liked it as well. “She is just like the Lady Sif,” Sigyn explained.

“She is my friend and Thor’s as well. She is a warrior just like Mulan. It is unheard of for a woman to be a warrior in Asgard, just as it is in this picture show. I think the Lady Sif would enjoy this if she was here with us.”

“Mulan is a wonderful warrior,” Nari said admiringly of her when the movie ended. “What brilliance of strategy she had by causing an avalanche and using her wits to outsmart those Huns in the palace.”

“Mulan is truly a hero worthy of having songs sung of her greatness,” Vali added. “I shall compose a song in her honor and we can sing it at our Thanksgiving feast.”

“What a wonderful idea, my clever son,” Sigyn replied with a nod.

“And I shall compose a song about all the wonders of Asgard that we have come to enjoy since we arrived,” Nari added. “I shall make special note of the electrical hand dryers.”

“They are a wonder,” Sigyn agreed.

The children stayed busy with schooling, karate lessons, and composing their songs until Thanksgiving arrived. Brynja and Sigyn spent nearly three days in the kitchen preparing for the feast. Sigyn’s feet were swollen and sore by the end of each night, and Bruce showed her and Brynja how to soak them in a bath of Epsom salts to help ease the pain. The women sat side-by-side on the sofa, soaking their feet in small plastic tubs of hot water, and watched cooking programs on the television.

Bruce poured them glasses of brandy and they sipped them leisurely and relaxed. “Are you sure you don’t want my help with anything tomorrow?” he asked.

“No, this is women’s work,” Brynja replied. “But you may rub my shoulders tonight and tomorrow before bed.”

“I think I can manage that,” Bruce said before kissing her cheek and retreating to the basement.

The next morning, Sigyn and Brynja arose before dawn and began to prepare the feast. The turkey had been thawing in the refrigerator for several days and was ready for the stuffing they had made the night before. It took both of them some time to figure out the best way to get the turkey into the pan, fill it with stuffing, and truss it, but eventually it was ready. Brynja smeared butter all over the outside and Sigyn hoisted it into the oven.

It took several hours and they spent the time preparing vegetables, rolls, and mashed potatoes while Bruce showed the boys the tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Brynja set the dining room table while Sigyn took the turkey out of the oven and began to prepare the gravy. Nari wandered into the kitchen and whined for a snack. Sigyn sent him back with a small bowl of salted mixed nuts for the menfolk to share. “Supper will be ready in an hour,” she called out to them.

Brynja and Sigyn tackled the job of carving the turkey together. It took a while to determine the best course of action, but they eventually mastered it, and soon they had a large platter of sliced turkey ready to be carried out to the table.

At long last, the meal was ready, and the two women had placed all the dishes on the table. Sigyn called out to Bruce and the children and within seconds, they were running into the room at full speed. “It smells wonderful in here,” Nari exclaimed as he sat down at the table.

“Yes, I cannot wait to try it all!” Vali added.

Bruce’s eyes shone with excitement as he looked at the table. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve had a proper Thanksgiving dinner,” he remarked as he sat down. “It all looks wonderful.”

Brynja and Sigyn smiled. “It was a fun experience,” Sigyn replied. “Should we eat first or should the boys sing their songs first?”

“Eat!” Nari and Vali cried in unison.

Sigyn and Brynja began to pass the dishes around and everybody filled their plates high with food. They all ate with gusto until they could barely sit up any longer. Nari loved every dish equally, but Vali loved the green bean casserole the most. “The crispy onions on the top are delightful,” he said while eating his fourth helping.

“The turkey is perfectly cooked,” Bruce complimented. “The white meat is so moist. Sometimes it can get really dried out, but this is wonderful. Everything is so good.”

Brynja looked delighted to hear this and smiled at him. “I am happy my cooking pleases you on this most important Midgardian holiday.”

Sigyn thought the food was wonderful as well. It never ceased to amaze her how many different types of meals Midgardians could think to make with their ingredients. The stuffing had such a distinct flavor and texture that she decided it was her favorite dish of the meal.

When everybody was so full that they could no longer eat, the boys gave their presentations. Vali stood up in front of the group and cleared his throat. “My song is called, ‘An Ode to Mulan,’ and consists of six stanzas,” he announced before beginning to sing. Sigyn took pictures with Bruce’s camera while Vali sang his song, and felt very proud of him. She was amazed at his talent in composing a song that talked of Mulan’s bravery and devotion to her family. His song ended with Mulan dying in battle and being carried off by the Allfather’s Valkyries to Valhalla, an honor never before granted to a woman.

Sigyn applauded and tears streamed down her face as Vali took his bow before them. Nari stood up when his brother had finished and introduced his song. “It is called ‘The Wonders of Midgard,’ and has five stanzas.” He sang about his new favorite experiences, such as eating popsicles, watching movies, and using the electric hand dryer. Sigyn took pictures of him as well and was sobbing by the end over her son’s talent.

Brynja and Bruce whistled and clapped as well, and the boys were very excited at the good reception they’d had. “Great songs guys,” Bruce said as he stood up. “Now, who wants to learn about the great Thanksgiving tradition of the after-dinner nap?”

“Me! I do!” the boys cried excitedly.

Brynja yawned and looked at the table. “So much work left to do,” she murmured.

Sigyn sighed as well. “Let us put the food away and then we can take a nap too,” she replied. “The rest of the cleaning can wait.” They quickly brought the last of the food back into the kitchen and put it in the refrigerator. Brynja left the kitchen and walked over to the sofa and took Bruce by the hand before leading him up to his sleeping chamber.

The boys were already asleep on either end of the sofa, so Sigyn covered them with blankets before retreating to her own sleeping chamber. “My husband, you would have loved today’s feast. I shall have to remember how to prepare all of it so that I can make it for you upon our return to Asgard,” she called out to him in her mind.

“I look forward to partaking of it,” he said before she drifted off to sleep.

Later that evening, when everybody had awoken from their naps and felt ready to eat again, they tried the pumpkin pie Brynja had made and Nari declared it wonderful. “I have never tasted anything like it before,” he said before taking a second slice.

“I like the sweetened whipped cream on the top,” Vali commented. “It is remarkable.”

When everybody had finished their dessert, the boys ran outside to join their friends in a game of football, even though it was dark out. The adults sat down and watched a movie that Bruce picked out. “I’m sure you will love this one,” he promised. The movie was called The Wizard of Oz, and it turned out to be a story Sigyn took great delight in. The colors of Oz were so vibrant and beautiful and the songs were wonderful. Brynja enjoyed it as well.

“Midgardians have such amazing imaginations,” Sigyn commented after the movie ended. “Wonderful stories, delicious dishes to feast upon, it is all so good!”

That night, in spite of being very full and having taken long naps that afternoon, everybody slept very soundly.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holiday season on Midgard continues with Christmas and New Year.

When Thanksgiving ended, it seemed that the whole of Midgard’s attention turned immediately to the next big holiday-Christmas. Many of the rituals involved in the holiday seemed quite odd to Sigyn. Cutting down a live tree and bringing it inside the house was a very strange thing to do, in her view, but Bruce seemed to think it was perfectly normal. Decorating the tree once it was inside the house seemed absurd to Sigyn, but Bruce assured her it was an appropriate thing to do.

Watching movies about Christmas also seemed to be an important part of the holiday as well. Every day there was a new one to enjoy. The boys particularly enjoyed one movie about a child their age who was left at his home by himself on accident and had to defend himself and his home from invaders. Nari thought it was a very exciting movie. “If I was him, I would have slayed those invaders!” he cried after the movie ended. He did a karate chop to demonstrate.

“And I would use spells to capture them and bring them to justice!” Vali said.

“Well I feel very safe knowing my sons will protect this house so well if anybody tries to invade it,” Sigyn replied with a smile.

The most problematic part of Christmas, was Santa Claus. Bruce explained to them about the North Pole, the elves, the flying reindeer, and Santa, but instead of being excited, the boys seemed frightened. “Will he really come into our home?” Nari asked.

“Uh…” Bruce appeared to have trouble answering their questions, which only made the boys more nervous. “Well, I suppose he doesn’t have to if you don’t want him to. Sigyn can make sure to give you extra presents instead.”

“Yes, I think that is a good idea,” Vali replied.

The boys saw Santa Claus when they were at the department store with Sigyn and Bruce one day. Each boy grabbed one of Sigyn’s hands and stayed close to her as they walked towards his throne. “He is the Allfather, I think,” Nari whispered as he looked closely at him.

“The Allfather is in Asgard, my son,” Sigyn reassured him. “Is that what is frightening you two so much? Santa Claus is not the Allfather, my loves. And do not forget, my loves, the Allfather is your father’s father. He loves you very much.”

“He may be my father’s father, but he is still very frightening,” Vali said. “And he knows all things, just as the Allfather does.”

“Perhaps, but Santa Claus uses that knowledge to give presents to well-behaved children. He does not slay or destroy the naughty ones, nor does he have enemies.”

“Yes, Santa is a benevolent man,” Bruce reassured them. “Would you like to go speak with him now?”

Nari and Vali looked at each other for a moment. “What do you think, brother? He cannot harm us in public…” Nari said in a loud whisper.

Vali gulped and looked at Santa. “I suppose so,” he replied bravely.

Nari took Vali’s hand and together they slowly walked over to the line of children, Sigyn and Bruce following closely behind them. Sigyn felt proud that her sons were facing a fear. When they were men grown, they would have to deal with things that frightened them every day, and this was the time they needed to start doing that.

When their turn came, the boys took deep breaths and walked up the small staircase to Santa. “Ho ho ho! How are you boys today?” Santa asked in a jolly, booming voice.

“We are well, Santa Claus,” Nari replied.

“How are you?” Vali asked timidly.

“Can’t complain,” Santa said. “And what are your names, young men?”

Nari stepped forward bravely. “I am Nari Lokison, and this is my brother, Vali Lokison,” he said.

“Nari and Vali, such wonderful names…And what would you like for Christmas this year?”

The boys looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wish to have a football,” Nari replied. “My friend Billy has one, but I don’t have one. And I wish to have a horse so that I might ride it every day.”

“And I wish to have my own chemistry set so that I might do experiments like Bruce,” Vali said. “And also a deck of cards so I can play the games that Billy shows me.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll be able to manage some of those things, though a horse might be a little difficult to gift wrap and put in the sleigh…” Santa replied. “And now, let’s take a picture, shall we?”

Nari and Vali stood on either side of Santa and looked over to where a woman in a strange red and green costume was waving. They all smiled and a light flashed in front of them as the picture was taken. Santa gave each boy a candy cane and they thanked him before running back down to Sigyn and Bruce.

Bruce paid for the picture while the boys chattered excitedly to their mother about meeting Santa Claus. “When we return to Asgard, we should tell far about it. I wonder if he’s ever heard of Santa Claus,” Vali said.

“I do not think he has,” Sigyn replied. “I am sure he’ll be very impressed.”

(SCENE)

A week before Christmas, Bruce brought a sprig of mistletoe home with him after a trip to the grocery store with Brynja. He hung it over the doorway to the kitchen and smiled at Brynja. “Have you heard about this tradition yet?” he asked curiously.

Brynja looked up at the mistletoe and frowned. “How does Midgard know of the tragedy?” she asked.

“Tragedy?” Bruce replied. “No, you’re supposed to kiss if two people are standing under it at the same time.”

Sigyn walked into the kitchen and saw the mistletoe. She stopped short and gasped. “What is this doing here?” she cried.

“Bruce got it,” Brynja said. “I do not think he knows.”

“Knows what?” he asked, looking exasperated.

“Why, the legend of Baldr, of course,” Sigyn replied with a sigh. “Poor Baldr.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Brynja and Sigyn began to tell him the story of Baldr, a just and heroic Asgardian from ancient times. “The story differs depending on who tells it,” Sigyn explained. “Baldr was Odin’s first son, or his ancestor, but either way, he was Odin’s kinsman somehow. He was loved by all he met. He cared for the animals of the land and was a skilled warrior and hunter. He was terribly handsome too. It was said that nearly every maiden he met fell in love with him and wished to be wedded to him. He was perfect in nearly every way possible. Everybody loved him, except for one man. He differs from story to story as well, but he was a trickster and a man of bad honor. One day he took a sharpened sprig of mistletoe and stabbed Baldr in the heart with it! With no warning or provocation, he just stabbed him. Baldr fell to the ground and accounts vary of where he was. Sometimes it was a field, others it’s a forest, but most often it is at a feast.

“People gathered around, screaming and wailing as Baldr died. When Hela arrived to take him with her, Baldr’s mother, sometimes she’s Frigga, sometimes she’s not, ran to Hela and begged her not to take him, but to restore him to life. Hela made a deal with her, which is very rare for Hela, and said that if Frigga could get everything in the world to weep for Baldr’s passing, she would restore him to life. Every living person, plant, and animal had to weep.

“And so Frigga went all around Asgard telling everybody and everything what had transpired, and they all wept. Every man, woman, and child, every animal, tree, blade of grass, and flower. Even all the clouds wept down their rain upon the land. They all wept so much it created floods and covered nearly all the world. And finally, Frigga approached the man who had stabbed Baldr and asked him to weep for Baldr. Could he not find compassion in his heart for a grieving mother and atone for his actions? But the man would not. He laughed in her face and told her he would do no such thing. Frigga screamed, cried, and begged him to, but he would not relent. Hela, seeing that Frigga had failed in her mission, carried Baldr off with her to live. Most versions say that Hela wished to have Baldr as her lover and conspired with the trickster to succeed. Some say the he is still her lover to this very day.”

When Sigyn finished her sad story, she took a deep breath, and Brynja dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “Wow…I had no idea,” Bruce murmured with a shake of his head. “I’ll get rid of the mistletoe.” He took it down from the ceiling and threw it in the garbage before turning to Sigyn. “Hey…You said you’ve talked with Hela before. The next time you see her, you should ask her how it all really happened.”

Sigyn thought about that. It had never occurred to her to do that before. Hela would be the best source for the true story about Baldr. “They really could still be lovers,” she remarked. “Eternal lovers…That is quite romantic.”

That night, Bruce chose the movie “White Christmas” for Sigyn and Brynja to watch while he worked in the basement with Nari and Vali to help them make Christmas presents for Sigyn. Nari and Vali both wanted to create something for their mother. He had gotten different art supplies at the store for them to use.

Nari was painting a self-portrait on a canvas set upon an easel. In the painting, he was sitting on a horse, holding his sax in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. He was riding into battle and had a smile on his face.

Vali was building something out of scrap pieces of wood he’d found in the basement, but wouldn’t tell anybody what it was. Unfortunately, nobody could tell what it was by looking at it either. “Nari, make sure to leave some of the paint for me when you finish,” he instructed his brother.

“All right,” Nari replied. Turning to Bruce, he said, “What are you going to make for mor and Brynja?”

“I was going to buy them something,” Bruce replied. “I thought I might get Sigyn a couple more photo albums, and a book about gardening for the spring and summer months. I think she might enjoy that. And as for Brynja…I might get her something nice to wear…”

“Like a dress?”

“Not sure yet, but I’m keeping my options open.”

“I think Brynja would like socks,” Nari said helpfully. “She always complains how cold her feet are.”

“Would you and Vali like to buy her some socks as a gift?” Bruce asked.

Nari glanced at Vali and they both nodded their heads. “That would be a very good idea,” Nari replied.

“All right, tomorrow we’ll go out and do some shopping for the women.”

The boys spent the rest of the evening working on their projects and fell asleep soon after their bath that night.

The next day, Bruce took the boys to the department store and led them to the section with women’s socks and let them pick out whatever they wanted. Nari chose a pair of blue socks with dinosaurs on them, and Vali chose an orange pair that had bright yellow suns on them. “These are so cheery!” he exclaimed as he handed them to Bruce. “They will make her smile.”

“We should get her something else too,” Nari said as he began to wander through the department. The socks segued into the rest of the intimate women’s apparel and Nari stopped to gaze at it all.

Vali stood next to him and looked around as well. He walked over to a white lace garment that didn’t cover much skin and picked up the clothes hanger to get a better look. “We could get her this,” he suggested. “What is it?” He looked curiously at Bruce.

“It’s a special kind of nightgown,” Bruce replied carefully, looking away from the boys. “Why don’t you put it back and we’ll get something else for her from another part of this store? A part far, far away from here…”

“Why would she wear this as a nightgown?” Nari asked. “It wouldn’t keep her warm at all. If she wore this, you’d be able to see her bubbies.”

Vali wrinkled his nose and set the garment back on the rack. “I don’t want to see her bubbies…” he said disdainfully. He kept walking around until he found a long, floor-length nightgown that would cover nearly every inch of whoever wore it. It was red and had blue and white stars all over it. “What about this? This would keep her warm, and it’ll go great with the socks we got her!”

Nari’s eyes lit up when he saw it and he reached out a hand to touch the material. “It is so soft!” he exclaimed. “This is perfect. Bruce, may we get this for her too?”

Bruce smiled and nodded. “I’m sure she’ll love it,” he replied. “Now, let’s get out of here.” He paid the department store extra to wrap the clothing for them and hurried the boys out of the store as quickly as possible. The boys continued to whisper and giggle at the garments they had seen earlier.

Bruce took them to a nearby diner for lunch and ordered burgers, fries, and milkshakes for all of them. “I think you’ll enjoy the food,” he promised after the waitress had left with their order.

Nari and Vali did enjoy their meals. “I love this milkshake!” Vali exclaimed after taking a large sip. “It is the most delicious dish I’ve ever had!”

Nari took a giant bite of his cheeseburger and groaned in delight. He continued to attack the burger without stopping to breathe until Bruce finally told him to slow down. “You’ll make yourself sick! Swallow what you have in your mouth and take a deep breath.”

Nari obeyed Bruce before eating a french fry and tasting the milkshake. “Midgardian food is better than Asgardian food, I think,” he declared halfway through the meal. “They use mostly the same things, but Midgardians do so much more interesting things with them.”

Vali nodded in agreement. He was too busy chewing to answer. A moment later, he could speak again. “Some days I wish we could stay here on Midgard forever.”

Nari nodded as well. “Sometimes I wish Bruce was our real father and that we would never have to go back,” he confessed.

Bruce set his hamburger down and took a deep breath. “But you boys do have a father, and he loves you very much,” he replied, quietly.

“But you’re here,” Nari said. “Far is locked away and even if we were in Asgard, we could not see him. I wish to have a far I can see.”

Vali nodded in agreement. “And you are so kind to us,” he added. “Far was kind to us too, but he left us.”

Bruce sighed. “One day things might get better between you and your father. We can enjoy our time together while you’re here, but one day you will have to go back home again.”

The boys finished their food in silence after that.

(SCENE)

By Christmas Eve, all the presents had been made or purchased, wrapped, and sat nestled under the Christmas tree. Bruce showed the boys how to hang up their stockings by the fireplace. He had purchased traditional red and white stockings for them and Sigyn had sewn their names onto them.

“Will Santa really come tonight and fill them?” Vali asked for the hundredth time that day. “Can we stay up to see him?”

“Yes, Santa is coming,” Bruce replied patiently, “but he only comes to houses where the children are asleep.”

Vali and Nari took their bath and got ready for bed that night with no protests. Bruce read a special story to everybody called “The Night Before Christmas,” and the boys traipsed off to bed with grins on their faces.

Sigyn too was curious what Santa Claus would bring to the boys. She knew that he only gave gifts to children, so she wouldn’t be getting anything from him, but she could feel her sons’ excitement and hoped they would get something that made them happy. She herself had purchased, with Bruce’s help, several things for both of them that she thought they might enjoy. Asgard didn’t have holidays like this, so gift-giving was rather new to her. She had thoroughly enjoyed it, however, and wished Loki was here to partake in the fun rituals. Along with gifts for Nari and Vali, she also purchased presents for Bruce and Brynja.

“Loki, my love, if you were here with us, I would have gotten a Christmas present for you too,” she called out to her husband that night before drifting to sleep. “What would you have wanted?”

“Nothing, my Sjalsfrande,” Loki replied. “I wish for nothing but you. You could have wrapped yourself up in ribbons and bows so that I might unwrap you when we were alone. And then I would partake of your pleasures over and over again until neither of us could stay awake any longer, and then we would sleep in each other’s arms for a full day and night, and when we awoke, we would begin it all again. That is what I wish to have for a gift.”

“Oh, my husband, that sounds like a wonderful gift,” Sigyn sighed. “When we are reunited, that is the gift I shall give to you.” That night, when she drifted off to sleep, she could feel Loki’s mind attach itself to her own. They shared each other’s dreams.

The next morning, Nari and Vali woke up before everybody else in the house and quietly snuck downstairs to see if there were any new presents waiting for them. Nari bent over and examined the tree very carefully. “I see more gifts than there was when we went to bed last night!” he declared. “And they have different wrapping paper! They must be from Santa Claus!”

Vali looked at the stockings on the fireplace mantle. “The stockings are full of presents too!” he cried excitedly. “He _did_ come! He did!” The boys grinned at each other before turning in unison and running back upstairs.

“Mor! Mor! Santa was here!” Nari cried.

“Bruce! Brynja! He really came! He was here!” Vali shouted.

Sigyn was roused out of her sleep when both boys ran into her room and jumped onto her bed. She felt Loki wake from his slumber, and remained entwined in her mind as she listened to the boys’ excited chatter. Nari crawled into the bed next to her and snuggled up against her. Vali joined in and sat next to her as well. “You’re soft and warm,” Nari said as he leaned his head against her arm.

“Tell far I said ‘Merry Christmas,’” Vali added as he wrapped his arms around Sigyn’s waist. “I know he’s with you now.”

Sigyn kissed both of their heads and held them closely to her. She loved feeling her whole family close together as they were at that moment. She could feel Loki basking in the love that radiated through her and into his soul. “Never forget this moment, my Sjaslfrande,” she murmured into his mind. “All our love for one another-that is never going to change. It is constant and binds all four of us to one another.”

Brynja knocked on the door and opened it when the boys cried out for her to come into the room. She smiled and Bruce joined her side a minute later. Everybody exchanged Christmas greetings and hugs before Bruce and Brynja took the boys downstairs so that Sigyn could dress for the day in privacy. “My love, do not forget to stand before the mirror,” Loki said.

“Oh husband, I think you have only one thing on your mind,” she replied with a laugh.

“I cannot help it, my love, I am all alone in this cell, and I am under constant watch, day and night, and can do nothing to alleviate my desires.”

“But seeing me will only increase your desire…”

“I care not!”

“Very well, very well,” Sigyn replied with a sigh as she stepped in front of the mirror and slipped her nightgown off. “When we return to Asgard, I shall ask Odin to grant us the right to conjugal visits. For my sake, if nothing else.” She could feel Loki’s desire and it overwhelmed all her senses.

“The Allfather would only tell you to take a lover,” Loki replied. “I do not want for that to happen, though.”

“My next lover will be you, my husband,” Sigyn replied. “Now, may I get dressed? The others will wonder what is taking me so long.”

“I don’t care what they think. I could look at you for an eternity and never tire of it.”

“Even when I grow old and gray and covered in wrinkles?”

“Not even then, my wife. I shall be old, gray, and covered in wrinkles as well, but my eyes will always remember you just as you are now.”

“Oh my love…”

“My wife, I have just had an idea,” Loki said, sounding both excited and conspiratorial. “Lie down on the bed, and I shall explain it to you…” Sigyn sighed and got back into her bed. “Good, and now I shall tell you what you need to do…”

Sigyn was curious what Loki wanted her to do, but remained quiet as he explained. She hoped nobody else would walk in on her or hear what she was doing, but nobody interrupted her, much to her and Loki’s relief.

She joined the rest of the household in the middle of their breakfast, some time later. She was already sated in one way, but broke her fast anyway. Loki was much more relaxed in her mind now, as well.

When everybody had finished eating, the boys ran out into the living room, followed by Bruce and the women. Sigyn passed out presents as everybody settled onto the sofa. She gave Nari and Vali their stockings first and they looked at them so longingly that Bruce told them to start opening the gifts in them. Without needing to be told a second time, they began to reach into the stockings and pull out the small, wrapped items, and tore into them. They were thrilled with the small boxes of raisins and other dried fruits, the bags of almonds and peanuts, and the candy canes. There was a new toothbrush for each of them, as well as small tubes of toothpaste, a package of gum, and dental floss. There were also small toy cars and sidewalk chalk, which Bruce had to explain to them, and a set of watercolor paints and brushes for each of them. In the bottom of each stocking was a small orange, and the boys were very excited about that. “This is my favorite!” Nari cried, holding the orange aloft.

“Santa Claus sure is generous,” Sigyn said with a clap of her hands when the stockings were empty.

Bruce instructed everybody to take turns opening presents, and suggested that Brynja start. She opened the gifts from Nari and Vali. “Look at the beautiful colors, my lady!” she cried excitedly, holding up the socks to show Sigyn.

“Oh, and they are so soft!” Sigyn added as she reached over to touch them.

Brynja opened the nightgown next, and stood up to show it off. “It is wonderful, boys,” she said. “I love it very much.” She leaned down and kissed each boy on the cheek.

“We saw another one, but it was not warm enough,” Nari said. “You would be able to see your bubbies through it!” He broke into giggles with that, and Vali joined in.

“Oh my, we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Brynja said with a chuckle. She looked over at Bruce and winked. Bruce quickly looked away and instructed Sigyn to open one of her presents.

“Open this one, mor!” Nari cried, pointing to his gift for her. “I made it for you.”

Sigyn held up a large square that was wrapped in pink wrapping paper and began to rip into it. There was a lot of satisfaction in ripping open the paper. The picture had been framed by Bruce when Nari had finished it, so she held it by the sides of the frame and gazed at the painting while Nari described it for her. She began to cry after a minute and set the painting down carefully before throwing her arms around Nari and covering him with kisses. Nari wrapped his arms around her neck and didn’t protest.

Bruce opened his gift from Sigyn next. She had knit him a blanket for his bed. It was multiple colors, all of them bright, and would go well with Brynja’s socks and nightgown. “Thank you, Sigyn,” Bruce replied politely. “It’s wonderful. I love it very much. It must have taken you a very long time to make this.”

Sigyn smiled and nodded. “Ever since Halloween!” she replied.

Sigyn’s next gift was the one from Vali. “I built it myself,” he explained as she opened it. She unwrapped the oddly-shaped package and looked at it for a moment, trying to determine what it was. It was clearly a small structure of some sort, and he had painted it red and blue, with white dots all over it. “It is a house for birds,” he finally explained. “See, you put bird seed there,” he pointed to the bottom, “and the birds come and sit in it to eat and are covered from the rain and snow.” He pointed to the roof. “And there is a hook on the top to hang it from the tree branch outside your window so you can watch the birds every morning.” Sigyn began to cry again and showered Vali with hugs and kisses as well. Vali hugged and kissed her in return.

More gifts were opened, including Bruce’s gift from Nari and Vali. “Oh wow…A beef log…” Bruce said as he unwrapped the package.

“We saw it in town and thought it was perfect for you, so we had mor buy it for us,” Nari explained with a grin. Bruce had given Sigyn the SHIELD credit card to do her own Christmas shopping one day when he’d been at the hardware store. “It’s a lot of meat so it should last a long time…”

“It sure is…Thanks boys, that was really thoughtful of you,” Bruce replied with a smile.

“And there’s more, open up the other package,” Vali advised.

Bruce opened the other package on his lap and took out a coffee mug. It was purple and said “World’s Best Protector”. “There was a store that would put whatever words you wanted onto the coffee mugs, and this is what the boys chose,” Sigyn explained.

Bruce looked at the mug in silence for a minute before clutching it to his chest. “Thank you, boys,” he said quietly. “This means a lot to me…”

Vali and Nari threw themselves against him, hugging him tightly. “We love you, Bruce,” Nari said.

“Yes, we love you,” Vali added.

Finally, the only gifts that were left were Santa’s presents for the children. Vali screamed with excitement when he opened his present. There was a chemistry set and a deck of playing cards, just as he had asked for. “This is the best Christmas ever!” he exclaimed.

“I do not think there is a horse in here,” Nari said as he shook his first present. He opened it up and took out a card with a picture of a horse on it. Inside was a piece of paper that Bruce read for him.

“It says that since Santa knew you don’t have room for a horse here, that the next best thing would be riding lessons at a nearby stable. In the spring, you’ll be able to enroll in lessons. What do you think about that, Nari?”

The grin on Nari’s face grew until he could smile no harder. “Oh boy! Mor, I get to have lessons again!” He jumped up from his chair and began to hop around the room in his excitement. After a minute, he sat back down and opened his second gift, which turned out to be a football. “My very own football! Mor look at it!” He waved it around and grinned.

Sigyn watched and smiled. Seeing her sons’ joy was the best gift of all. She had loved everything she had received. Bruce had given her a box of gardening supplies and a book to help her work on a garden in the spring, as well as a couple more photo albums. Brynja had sewn a lovely nightgown for her out of lime green flannel that she and Bruce had purchased at a fabric store.

Sigyn had also enjoyed shopping for and making presents for others. She had knitted sweaters for the boys—red and yellow for Vali and green and orange for Nari. She had also purchased more toys and books for them as well. She had gotten blue slippers in the shape of fluffy rabbits, and an equally fluffy, pink bathrobe for Brynja. She had not seen what Bruce had gotten for Brynja, for he had not kept her present under the tree. He must have given it to her privately in his chamber earlier in the morning, but she suspected it must have been something of an intimate nature.

As her sons began to play with their new toys, she decided that Christmas was a wonderful holiday. “Don’t we have delightful children, my husband?” she murmured into Loki’s mind.

“The best children,” Loki replied. “It was an honor to see such joy on their faces and to be able to feel it in their hearts. I am glad I joined with your mind today, my Sjalsfrande.”

Sigyn loved moments like this, Loki was coherent and rational and seemed as if he was well again. “We are going to have a feast later on today, my love. You should stay with me and experience it through my eyes.”

“Very well, my love,” Loki replied. “I shall stay.”

When they had all relaxed for a while, Brynja and Sigyn went into the kitchen to prepare the feast. The meal would be quite different from the Thanksgiving feast the previous month. Bruce had purchased a ham that was already cooked, so all Sigyn and Brynja had to do was heat it in the oven. She and Brynja had studied more cooking programs on the television and had carefully chosen everything else to prepare, and Bruce had found the recipes for them to follow. Along with the ham, there would be potatoes au gratin, Sigyn’s homemade pickled green beans, buttered peas and carrots, and sourdough rolls. For dessert, they planned on baking an apple-cranberry pie. Sigyn had a talent for making pastries and hoped it would come with her back to Midgard. “It will be wonderful, I’m sure,” Loki reassured her.

It took several hours to prepare the feast, but both women were excited and proud of how it turned out. They set the table and called everybody there when the food was ready. Bruce cut the ham into slices and passed out plates to everyone. The boys put so much food on their plates that they both ended up needing a second plate to hold it all.

“Everything is delicious,” Bruce praised them as he helped himself to a second helping of potatoes and pickled green beans. “The green beans are extraordinary!”

“And I love the ham and the peas and carrots,” Nari exclaimed.

Vali was buttering his fifth roll and nodded in agreement. “Ham is the tastiest meat ever, mor. What kind of meat is it?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “I know not,” she replied. “Bruce, do you know?”

Bruce nodded and swallowed a mouthful of potatoes before answering. “It’s pork.”

“We should eat it every day,” Vali said.

“Would you not tire of eating the same food every day?” Brynja asked.

“Maybe, but we should have it at least once a week.”

Sigyn brought out the pie when the plates and serving dishes had been cleared. Everybody accepted a piece, and declared it to be perfect. “It does look wonderful,” Loki said wistfully.

The entire pie had been eaten before they declared themselves full. As with Thanksgiving, the feasting ended with a nap. Bruce fell asleep on the sofa, so the boys stumbled up to their chamber to nap in their beds. Brynja took the opportunity to show Sigyn Bruce’s present. Sigyn was shocked, but also amused to see the lacy, see-through outfit that didn’t really cover anything. “How do you expect to stay warm in that?” she asked.

“Bruce said the point is to snuggle closely against somebody else to stay warm,” Brynja replied. “He suggested himself…”

“Oh, I understand now,” Sigyn replied with a laugh. “Men do so enjoy looking at a woman’s form, do they not?”

“It is no different here on Midgard than it is back home.”

Loki was quite amused to be a witness to this. “You must find out where Banner got that outfit from, and purchase one for yourself,” he commanded.

“I’ll look for one the next time I am at the clothing store,” Sigyn promised after Brynja had left for Bruce’s chamber.

“Get as many of them as you can,” he said as she slipped into bed and drifted off to sleep.

(SCENE)

When Christmas was over, the final holiday to look forward to, was New Year’s Eve. There was less of a ritual involved. No special feast, only staying up late and for the boys, yelling and banging on pots and pans on the porch at midnight. Then there were kisses shared by one and all, and then to bed they went. Sigyn thought it was the strangest ritual of them all, but didn’t say anything to Bruce for fear of hurting his feelings.

With the holidays over, life once again slipped into a comfortable routine for everybody. Days flew by in a flurry of schooling lessons, keeping house, karate lessons, and science experiments. Vali joined Bruce many afternoons and worked with his chemistry set as Bruce worked on his experiments.

Loki spent more and more of his time attached to Sigyn’s mind, drawing strength from her to continue with life in prison. He could see his children through her eyes and he could also make sure no harm was coming to her in the form of the Hulk, who had yet to make an appearance. He hoped with everything that he had, that his wife and children would never have to experience the excruciating pain and humiliation at the hands of the Hulk that he had endured. He could still recall the feeling of being slammed repeatedly into the floor of Stark Tower and it made him feel nauseous to imagine that happening to one of his family members and being helpless to stop it.

With every passing day, he worried less and less about people coming for Sigyn and the boys. Nobody had come for them yet, and many months had passed already. He wasn’t confident enough quite yet to bring them home, though, so on Midgard they would stay, for several months more at least. He heard murmurs among the guards about troubles in the other realms, and wondered how they were being dealt with. Would those troubles end up in Asgard? He didn’t tell Sigyn about this, for he didn’t want her to worry.

The times that Loki wasn’t living in Sigyn’s mind, he spent observing life from his prison cell. He had gotten to know the mannerisms of every guard, but none of his attempts to befriend them had worked. They seemed to be under orders to not interact with him under any circumstances, and they obeyed Odin’s commands faithfully. It was very annoying. He had hoped that at least one poor fool would take pity on him, but thus far he had made no progress with any of them.

Frigga continued to supply him with reading material to help pass the time, but she too was remaining obedient to the Allfather’s commands and had not come to visit him. His heart ached to see her, for next to Sigyn and the boys, Frigga held his heart more than anybody else in Asgard. Not a day passed that he hoped she would disobey Odin and come to see him. Did she not love him any longer? She had always claimed him to be her favorite. Perhaps that had been a lie to help soften the blow of his true parentage and now she no longer needed to keep up the pretence. These were the thoughts that consumed him night and day. Did no one care for him enough to defy Odin and visit? Was he truly not important enough to anybody here? Perhaps Thor had gone not to Midgard to retrieve him, but to uphold his family honor. He cared not for Loki and he hadn’t visited either. Loki knew his worthlessness after finding out about his past, but he had always held out the hope, deep down, that somebody would care about him. If he lived, or died, nobody seemed to care either way. Only Sigyn and the boys cared, and they were so far from him.

Poor Sigyn, connected by her soul itself to a mad man like him. He had tried his hardest to end it, for her sake, but fate seemed to have other plans for his life, and hers. They would remain entwined, until the end of their days. He loved Sigyn with all that he had and all that he was, but he pitied her as well. He wished that he could be the person she deserved. A handsome, strong warrior like Thor who could keep her safe and protected from those who might harm her. A man who could give her as many children as her heart desired. Instead, she was yoked to a man who could do none of that. He was not strong, not a warrior, and drew people who would harm her _closer_ to her, not farther away. He could father no more children, not because he didn’t want more, but because he would not pass his Jotun blood to future generations.

She was inextricably joined to a man whose thoughts scared him, and kept him up at night. The chaos he felt inside himself was threatening to drive him completely mad. He enjoyed his mischief when it was directed at others, but when he felt it welling up inside himself, it was terrifying. Those were the times he found himself drifting into Sigyn’s mind. She was a safe harbor from his thoughts. Her mind was stable and steady and anchored him. Her life was simple, but compared to his currently, very rich and fulfilling. Her dreams were sweet and not filled with terrors. He longed, more than anything, to feel her arms around him as he lay next to her in their marriage bed. He knew that by laying his ear against her breast, her heartbeat would soothe him to sleep and he would be truly refreshed and renewed from a full night’s sleep for once. He wasn’t sleeping very much anymore, not since he’d fallen from Asgard. He wanted so much to sleep a full night’s sleep, but he did not think that would ever happen again. Not until he was reunited with his Sjalsfrande. She contained within her, the only good part that was left of his soul. His children had tiny shards, but the strongest connection was with her. Sometimes, he visited Sigyn so he could see that last good part of himself. To remind himself of what he used to be. Of what he’d never be again.

That night, Loki dreamt that Sigyn was in his cell with him. She was unclothed and held her arms out to him to take him into her embrace. He too was unclothed and was going to make love to her, but everybody in the prison was watching them expectantly. They too wished to have a turn with her. He pushed Sigyn behind him to keep the others from seeing her unclothed form, but she moved around and approached the glass wall, showing off her body to all the guards and inmates. Suddenly, she slipped through the glass and into the crowd of men. Loki was unable to get through the glass and was forced to watch as she offered herself to each of the guards and prisoners and they eagerly took up on her offer.

Loki turned his head and saw another Sigyn standing next to him suddenly, even though she was still with the prisoners. “My love, do not dwell on such horrible thoughts,” she said while holding her hand out to him. “I would never do those things, you needn’t worry…”

“But you already have done so, my wife…” Loki cried out.

“Oh my darling, I never shall again,” she vowed. “My fidelity to you shall not ever waver again. You are back in my life and I am alive again. I do not need to look elsewhere for affection, because it is right here.”

Loki reached out and took her hand in his and suddenly the scene before them changed. “I am sharing your dream now?” he asked as they looked around and saw themselves sitting in a Midgardian bathtub. They both looked younger than their current ages. Timeless almost. The younger Loki was in his Jotun form, but the younger Sigyn seemed not to notice it or care about it. Loki sat against the back of the tub while Sigyn lay in his arms. There was a layer of bubbles covering the water.

The dream Loki smiled and looked over at them. “Do you not feel at peace now?” he asked. “This is beyond the dreams, your or hers.”

“What is beyond the dreams?” Loki asked.

“Dreams are only the mind’s stories,” the other Loki replied. “But there is so much more than just a person’s mind. We are your Sjalsfrande. We are what can never be separated and what will ever be for all eternity. Your bodies will wither away and die one day, but we shall endure. We can never break or be destroyed, no matter how far your bodies are parted from one another.”

The Sigyn lying against Loki reached a hand out of the water and the standing couple watched as the other Loki’s hand followed suit, keeping his hand perfectly aligned with hers. “We are one,” she said with a smile. “When you make love, it is through us that you feel one another’s ecstasy. We are how you can speak into one another’s minds and share dreams. Go on, try it.”

Loki looked down at Sigyn and smiled shyly. Sigyn was gazing up at him lovingly. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The fiery passion they always felt when they kissed was even stronger in the presence of their Sjalsfrande. There was suddenly a thick pile of furs at their feet and after a long while, Sigyn broke away from her husband’s kiss to lie down upon them. When she was comfortable, she beckoned for him to join her. Loki knelt down and joined his wife on the furs. He ran his hands up and down her soft skin, and could feel the sensation his fingertips made when they touched Sigyn’s skin as if she was doing it to him. After kissing her again, he smiled as he entered her. Sigyn sighed and wrapped herself tightly around him, moving in rhythm with him. They could hear the Sjalsfrande’s cries of pleasure before their own, and the feeling of one another’s joy was stronger than it had ever been before. Soon the cries were simultaneous, until they all climaxed in unison and Loki collapsed gently into Sigyn’s arms. They were breathless for a long time before sitting up in the furs. Loki leaned in, kissed Sigyn, and wiped away her happy tears while she ran her fingers through his long dark hair.

“It shall never be better than this,” Sigyn murmured. “Stay with me, my husband, for the rest of the night. Share this moment with me for as long as we can have it.”

“I will never leave you,” Loki whispered in her ear. They settled into the furs and made love for what seemed like an eternity as their Sjalsfrande partook of their own pleasure.

That morning, Loki woke up more refreshed than he’d been in well over a year.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes on Midgard and events on Asgard are felt by Sigyn and the boys. Loki's actions once again affect their lives. And at long last, the family returns to Asgard.

Time moved quickly on Midgard. Winter soon gave way to the warmer weather of spring. Nari began to have his horse riding lessons, which he loved even more than his karate lessons. Sigyn began to work on her garden in the backyard. She had studied the matter for a long time and had made her choices of what vegetables to plant and when to plant them. Nari liked to help her with the digging and she liked not getting dirty, so the two of them made an excellent gardening team.

They planted carrots, tomatoes, and zucchini and watched and watered the garden faithfully as the weeks passed. Nari ran into Sigyn’s sleeping chamber one morning and woke her up. “Mor! Mor! The plants have sprouted!” he cried, hopping up and down in his excitement.

“How wonderful,” Sigyn replied sleepily, reaching out to brush the long dark hair out of her son’s eyes. “Let me prepare for the day and I shall go look at them.”

Nari waited outside the washing room door and took his mother’s hand as they walked to the garden. Sigyn enjoyed how affectionate he was towards her, and smiled down on him as they walked. When they got outside, she saw that there was a layer of green covering the entire garden plot. “Oh, how lovely!” she cried while running over to it and kneeling down to look more closely at it. She reached out one hand and brushed her fingers gently through some of the sprouts. “Think of the feasts we shall have when these are harvested.”

“They will be delicious,” Nari declared.

The garden thrived and grew through the entire spring and they were able to bring in the spring harvest and prepare for the summer planting just as the weather began to grow hot again. It provided many hours of joy for Sigyn.

“It has been nearly a year since we arrived in Midgard,” Brynja stated during breakfast one sweltering morning. “It feels as though we have always been here, does it not?”

Everybody agreed that while time passed quickly on Midgard, it also felt timeless. “I do not even remember Asgard very much,” Vali stated. “Midgard feels like my true home now.”

“But do not forget, we will return to Asgard one day,” Sigyn replied. “It is our real home.”

“I don’t know, mor,” Nari replied. “I do not remember the ways of Asgard. I like the way life flows on Midgard. It is fast and exciting.”

“It does move quickly here,” Sigyn agreed. “There’s always something happening.”

With the vernal season came the return of late night games for Nari and Vali with their friends. They were out of the house for as long as Sigyn would allow them to be and one day she was shocked to see how tall they were getting. “Your clothes hardly fit you anymore and your hair needs cutting,” she declared.

Both boys grumbled as she and Bruce drove into town to fix both problems. “You’ll feel much better in clothes that fit and you won’t be so hot with shorter hair,” Sigyn said.

Several hours later, the boys returned home with bags of new clothes and shorter hair on their heads. They ran off to join their friends before Sigyn could think of anything else for them to do.

The summer passed pleasantly, and began turning to autumn slowly. The warm days lingered as long as they could until the change of seasons could no longer be denied.

Sigyn worked quickly to bring in the last of the summer’s vegetables before the weather turned too cold. She was kneeling down in the garden, picking carrots and placing them in a bucket and speaking with Loki, as they usually did each day. He cut off from her in mid-thought and Sigyn frowned. “Are you all right, my love?” she asked.

Loki didn’t respond, but she was suddenly inundated with a sense of panic, rage, and sadness. It threatened to overwhelm her. She clapped her hands over her ears as though she could block out her husband’s screams that now filled her mind, but it didn’t help. Suddenly, she felt her energy surging inside her, building up until there was nowhere else for it to go and it exploded out of her in a single burst. She watched as a red wave of energy flew out of her body and spread out across the yard. It dissipated when it hit the fences on each side, but left everything in the yard scorched.

Sigyn was breathless and collapsed to her knees. Brynja came running out of the house. “My lady, what has happened?” she cried. She wrapped an arm around Sigyn’s waist and helped her to her feet. “Come into the house.”

By the time Sigyn was sitting in the living room with a glass of water, Nari and Vali had run back home from playing at Billy’s house. “Mor! Mor!” they cried before throwing their arms around her. “Mor, what has happened?” Vali asked, looking stricken. “Nari and I felt far crying out, but we could not tell why.”

Tears streamed down Sigyn’s face as she hugged her children. Brynja sat by her side, looking concerned. “It is your farmor,” Sigyn said with a gasp. “Asgard has been attacked and Frigga was killed in battle. She died a warrior’s death…”

The group was silent for several minutes as they took in the news. Brynja began to cry quietly, but soon it turned into a loud wail. “Our queen is dead!” she exclaimed before reaching down to rent her skirt.

Nari and Vali began to cry as well, throwing themselves into Sigyn’s arms. She reached down and tore their shirt collars, and then tore her own skirt. Bruce came upstairs and looked concerned to see them all so upset. “What happened?” he asked.

Brynja stood up and threw herself into his arms. “Frigga, our queen, was killed in an attack on Asgard,” she sobbed.

“My farmor has died!” Nari wailed. Sigyn rocked him gently, like she had when he’d been younger.

Vali gasped for breath and rubbed his eyes. “Why was she killed?” he asked. “Who attacked? I wish to know who did this! I shall seek vengeance for her death!”

Nari let go of his mother and moved to stand next to his brother. “I too demand vengeance!” he growled. “I will slay them, whoever they are! I will slay them all with my sax!”

“My sons, you cannot do this,” Sigyn replied sadly. “We are still on Midgard and the enemy who slew Frigga is very far away. We must leave this in Thor’s hands. He will seek vengeance for our family and for the whole of Asgard. He will bring us justice.” She turned to Bruce. “What are the burial customs of Midgard?” she asked.

Bruce kept his arms around Brynja’s shoulders as he responded. “There are many different ways of burying our dead. But Frigga is not here…”

“No, but we must honor her death, even if we are far from home,” Sigyn replied. “Frigga was our queen and our kin and she died a warrior’s death. There are certain rituals and honors to be granted to her. We must partake in them.”

Bruce nodded his head in understanding. “What sort of rituals?”

That evening, after it grew dark, the group of mourners gathered in the backyard and watched as Bruce lit a bonfire. There would be no way to sail a boat off of a waterfall, as custom also dictated, but this was good enough in Sigyn’s eyes. There would also be a proper mourning feast in a week’s time to honor Frigga’s life with stories and toasting.

Nari and Vali cried for their farmor as the bonfire’s flames flickered up into the night sky. “I wonder if Heimdall can see our fire,” Vali said. “I wish for him to tell far and farbror and the Allfather that we are honoring Frigga.”

“They know, my love, they know,” Sigyn reassured him. She frowned and opened her mind to Loki. “My Sjalsfrande, I feel your sorrow and I wish more than anything to be with you, to hold you in my arms and grieve with you.”

“I have never been gladder that you and the children are not here,” came Loki’s swift reply. “Many others were slain, not just Frigga. This enemy was swift, and ruthless. I have no doubt that your lives would have been in danger.”

“Do you know who they are? Are they the ones you feared would come after you?”

“No, they are not. These are a far greater, far more terrible threat to Asgard. I will not bring you back until they are destroyed.”

“Oh, my love,” Sigyn replied. “Stay safe. I fear you are in great danger.”

“Do not fear for me, my wife. Fear for our enemies. It is their lives that are in danger. You know my brother and the Allfather will not let this pass without retribution. War is upon us, but woe be to the enemy, for they shall feel our wrath!”

“I wish you were free from your cell. You could seek vengeance, as is your right as a son to do so. You deserve that opportunity.”

“The Allfather would never permit it. But I do wish for vengeance as well. There are so many things I would do to those who slew Frigga.”

“Your sons are also plotting their revenge, though I have told them there will be no possibility of being able to seek it.”

“It is their right to,” Loki replied. “If they were here, I believe Thor would permit them to join him. It is another reason I am glad you are safely on Midgard. I have—” he cut himself off from his thought for a moment before returning to her mind. “My wife, I must go. At long last, my brother approaches.” Loki disengaged from Sigyn’s mind, and her thoughts returned to the scene at hand.

The bonfire was beginning to die down, and her sons were growing tired. She sat down on the porch steps and they sat on either side of her legs, resting against her. She ran her fingers through their hair and began to sing a song of mourning. It filled the night air with sadness and pain.

Frigga, our queen, has gone away from us,

Where she goes, we will one day follow.

She shall wait for us with Hela,

And prepare for us rooms to join her soon.

The women of Asgard owe her our lives,

And we will live to honor her memory.

May her life be remembered with fondness,

And her death be avenged with swiftness.

That night, while Brynja slept in Bruce’s embrace, Nari and Vali cried themselves to sleep in Sigyn’s bed. “Oh my husband, I wish you were right here with us,” she called out to Loki. She waited for him to respond, but he never did. She fell asleep that night feeling uneasy.

(SCENE)

When the week passed, Sigyn and Brynja prepared a feast for everybody. Sigyn had not heard from Loki since he had broken off from her, and her concern was growing stronger each day. What had Thor wanted with him? Was he the reason Loki was not communicating with her? And what was keeping him from being able to speak to her? She didn’t tell anybody about her worries, but kept them to herself. There was nothing anybody could do, and they were all still so grief-stricken that she didn’t want to burden them any more than was necessary.

When the feast was ready, they ate and toasted to Frigga’s memory and shared stories of her life. Sigyn kept an eye out for the “uninvited guest” as Hela called herself. Would she come to so small a feast so far from where Frigga had died? Sigyn poured an extra glass of wine for her just in case, and set aside a plate of food for her in the kitchen.

After the stories had ended and the food had been eaten, Sigyn returned to the kitchen to clean up and noticed that the glass of wine had been drained and the plate of food was empty. She smiled to herself and felt oddly comforted to know Hela had been there.

Nari and Vali slowly began to feel less sorrowful about losing Frigga as time passed. They returned to their studies and played with their friends and returned to life as usual.

“Life must march ever on,” Brynja commented one day as she and Sigyn folded laundry together in the living room.

“I suppose it must,” Sigyn replied. “It always has before.”

That night, Sigyn took a bath and relaxed in the tub. She closed her eyes and tried to call out to Loki, in hopes that this time he would respond. She had nearly fallen asleep when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and her eyes flew open. A cry of pain flew out of her mouth and she looked down, but saw nothing wrong with her body. “Loki, what is happening?” she called out to him. “Please answer me.”

Many minutes passed, but finally, Loki replied. “My Sjalsfrande, do not fret. I am well,” he said into her mind. “But I have need to share your mind for a time. It shall be cozy, shall it not?”

“It won’t be any different than the other times you’ve shared my mind,” Sigyn responded. “But why do you need to be here, and what is causing my stomach to hurt so badly?”

“Oh, my wife,” Loki replied jovially. “It is a wonderful tale, and I shall share it with you at length, but first, I wish to watch you finish bathing.”

“Oh Loki, really…”

“Please, my love?”

“Oh, all right…”

Loki didn’t speak of what had happened until Sigyn had gone to bed that night. As she lay in her bed, clinging to her teddy bear for comfort, he told her everything that had happened to him since Thor had come to his prison cell after Frigga’s death. Sigyn listened and didn’t interrupt, until the end of his tale. “So, Thor thinks you dead now? Again?”

“Yes, he does,” he crowed.

“And what are you going to do next? You were stabbed, were you not?”

“Yes, but that is why I am in your mind now. After enough time has passed, I shall create a new body and go into that.”

“And do what, exactly? Thor thinks you dead.”

“Well…I shall have to be somebody else for a while, I suppose,” Loki replied. “I am formulating a very good plan, my love. I hope you have faith in me. You don’t sound like you do, currently…”

“Oh husband, you know I have faith in you and all of your plans. I just cannot see how you can get yourself out of this bind. I am sure you’ll come up with a brilliant plan.”

Over the next several days, Loki spent every moment of the day in Sigyn’s mind. She loved having her husband close to her, but the stress of sharing minds began to take its toll on her. She began to snap at her children and Brynja when they did something that upset her and once or twice she even yelled at Bruce for not picking up after himself.

Fortunately, when things were becoming unbearable, Loki got his idea for the next step in his plan. “My love, prepare yourself. If I do this correctly, I will bring you and the boys home to Asgard in a week. The Bifrost has been repaired so you can return easily now. We shall all be together again! I will leave you to yourself now. But wait for me, my love. You are coming home!”

Sigyn’s heart soared at the thought of reuniting with Loki after such a long time apart. Only a week’s time and she would be in his arms again. Her sons would be able to see their father again after almost two and a half years! Oh, to be a proper family once more! She said nothing to anybody for fear of getting their hopes up only to have it not work out in the end.

Loki contacted her after a week. “My love, it has gone better than I could ever have imagined. I am going to give you one more week to pack and make your farewells. I know the children have made many friends, so they will need time to say their goodbyes as well.”

That next morning, at the breakfast table, Sigyn told her news to the rest of the group. “Loki has deemed it safe for us to return to Asgard. We have one week’s time to pack and make our farewells to our friends here,” she said with a smile.

Everybody remained silent and looked at one another for a minute before responding. “But our friends, we won’t get to see them again,” Nari said quietly. “I don’t want to leave them behind.”

Tears filled Brynja’s eyes and she jumped up from the table and ran out of the room. Bruce sighed and set his napkin down on the table before following her out of the room.

“Why can’t far come live here with us instead?” Vali asked. “We would all be so happy together here.”

“Your father isn’t welcome on Midgard,” Sigyn reminded him. “He has asked us to return and he is the head of our family. We must do as he wishes.”

The boys frowned and Nari folded his arms. “I wish to remain here,” he said stubbornly.

“You are not yet a man grown; you must do as your far and I say,” Sigyn replied. “We are returning home in a week’s time, so use this remaining time here wisely. We must pack to leave and we must say farewells to our friends. I will miss the people here very much too, but we must go back to our true home.”

“What about Brynja? She’s very sad right now,” Vali commented.

“I will go speak to her soon,” Sigyn replied. She could hear Brynja crying in the living room and Bruce’s quiet voice trying to comfort her. With a sigh, Sigyn stood up and left the room to talk with them.

“Brynja, do not cry so much,” she said when she sat down next to her friend.

“Oh my lady, this is the worst news I have ever received!” Brynja wailed as she threw herself into her mistress’s arms. “How can I be parted from Bruce forever? My heart belongs to him!”

Sigyn hugged Brynja for a minute before pulling her up and reaching out to brush the hair out of her friend’s eyes. This was a very sad moment for Sigyn, but she knew it was the right thing to do. “You will not have to be parted from Bruce,” she said, her lower lip quivering. “If Bruce will have you, you may stay here with him.”

Bruce placed a hand on Brynja’s hand and squeezed it lovingly. “What if your husband says otherwise?” he asked.

“Loki gave Brynja to me as my personal servant when I was carrying the children. Her fate is for me to decide, not Loki.” She wrapped her arms around Brynja’s shoulders and kissed her friend’s cheeks. “Brynja, you have been my faithful friend and helper all these long years. You have been with me in the hardest moments of childbirth, and the darkest moments of my husband’s madness. You have been there to watch my sons take their first steps and speak their first words. You are the very best friend I have ever known. It is with great sadness and sorrow that I release you from my service, but with great joy that I give you into the arms of a man who loves you and will take care of you.” With that, Sigyn began to cry. She never knew it would be so hard to say farewell to the greatest friend she had ever known. But knowing that Brynja would be separated from her lover, it would be cruel to force to her to return with them. This was for the best.

Brynja sobbed into Sigyn’s shoulder. “Perhaps Bruce could come back with us to Asgard,” she suggested after a minute.

Sigyn sighed and wiped her eyes. “I don’t think Loki would approve of that,” she replied.

“I’m not sure I want to live on Asgard,” Bruce replied. “I’m not sure how I would react to all the violence…”

Sigyn nodded her head. “I think it’s best if Brynja stays here with you. Will you keep her in your care?” She looked at Bruce hopefully.

Bruce gazed at Brynja and smiled. “We will stay together, as equals. She doesn’t need to be cared for by anyone,” he replied.

Brynja smiled and grabbed his hand. “I should like that very much,” she said.

Sigyn’s heart swelled to know that her friend would be left in good hands. It would be terrible to lose Brynja, but perhaps with the Bifrost repaired, they could visit one another occasionally. “I shall miss you terribly, but I will ask Heimdall to check in on you from time to time.”

As the week passed, Sigyn packed her life and her children’s lives back into the trunks they’d brought with them a year and a half ago. The boys packed all their new books and toys to take with them and Sigyn packed her teddy bear, the photos of her children, and all her books and equipment for gardening and preserving food. She also added some packets of seeds for foods that didn’t exist on Asgard with the intention of introducing her world to them. She wanted to continue with her new activities when she returned home. Loki, hopefully, would not object to her having a garden.

Loki spoke to her a few times as the time grew closer for the return trip home. He told her that Thor had, inexplicably, forfeited his right as heir to the throne and returned to life in Midgard to live out his days with his Midgardian woman. It was a sad moment to see his brother leave the realm for good, but there was duty to think about, and it was on Loki’s shoulders now to bear that burden.

He wouldn’t explain to her how he had escaped his prison sentence, especially when all of Asgard thought him dead, but would only tell her that it would be much more fun to wait and see when she returned. “I’m sure you’ll find it quite amusing, my love,” he assured her.

Nari and Vali had a very difficult time saying goodbye to their friends. They had grown very close to them over the time they’d lived on Midgard, and did not want to be parted from them. Nari especially was quite sad and angry at the thought of going home again. “Can I not stay here with Bruce and Brynja?” he begged Sigyn one night before bed.

“No, your far wishes for us all to be together again as a family,” Sigyn replied. “We must return home. I am sorry you will be leaving your friends here, but remember that you have very dear friends on Asgard that you will be returning to. Look forward to seeing them again.”

“I do not remember them,” Nari grumbled before turning onto his side away from his mother and covering himself with his bedclothes.

Sigyn sighed and left him alone after that.

On their last night in Midgard, once they had made their final farewells to the neighbors, and eaten a last pizza dinner, they had one more evening together. Bruce told them more mythology stories and they watched one last movie. The boys vowed to stay awake all night to make sure they didn’t miss out on anything, but both were asleep by the time the movie ended, and Sigyn and Brynja carried them upstairs to their bunk beds.

Brynja joined Sigyn in her sleeping chamber that night as they spent hours talking about their many memories. They laughed and cried, and vowed to visit whenever they could. Sigyn kissed Brynja’s cheeks before falling asleep in her arms. She would miss her friend’s comforting warmth. Her arms had rocked her to sleep many nights since she had been assigned to care for Sigyn. It was like losing a sister, or a part of herself, not just a friend.

The next morning, they ate a final Midgardian breakfast before moving all the trunks out to the back yard. The last hugs and kisses were exchanged and Nari and Vali clung to Sigyn’s waist and all three sobbed as the light of the Bifrost enveloped them and all around them turned white.

When they reemerged, they were in Heimdall’s newly rebuilt station. Their trunks littered the floor, and the boys continued to cling to Sigyn’s waist, afraid to let go. Sigyn opened her eyes and saw Odin standing next to Heimdall. The Allfather smiled at her. “My daughter, and my son’s sons,” he said in greeting as he slowly walked towards them. “How I have missed you all.”

Odin wrapped his arms around Sigyn’s shoulders and held her for a moment before drawing back to kiss her cheeks. “My lovely daughter, how good to hold you in my arms once again. You have come back to comfort an old man during his greatest loss,” Odin said with a frown. “My dear wife, unmatched by any other, save you, has been taken from my life by a heinous act of murder. Thor, my son and heir to the throne has forsaken our people in our greatest hour of need. Never would I imagine that he would abandon us…And my heart breaks to think of Loki, my fallen son. The son who gave his life so that Thor could live and save this realm. The true heroic nature of his sacrifice is not unnoticed by me. If only I had treated him better in life, perhaps none of this would have happened…”

Sigyn listened to Odin speak, but something wasn’t right. She caught a gleam in his eye that he wasn’t known for, and at that moment, she knew exactly what was happening. Loki had transformed himself into Odin and was impersonating him. This must have been his grand plan that he’d been so excited about.

Nari and Vali looked at the Allfather warily, as they too could sense that something was amiss. He turned his attention to them after a minute. “And my son’s sons…How you have grown since last I saw you…” He reached down and patted their heads and gave them each a brief hug.

“The servants will take your belongings to my chambers,” he said a moment later to them. “I hope you will not object to staying in my chambers. It would mean so much to a man of my years, bereft of his loved ones, to be parted from his last familial connections. Sigyn, you are my son’s widow. My other son leaves behind no wife or children. And Frigga and I were not blessed with daughters. Would you find it in your heart to take care of me in my old age? I do not wish to be alone.”

“Yes…Allfather…It would be my pleasure to look after you,” Sigyn replied evenly. “It is our duty as the last of this line to cleave to one another and help each other through these dark, sad times.”

Odin bowed his head and sighed. “Dark times indeed,” he replied. “Never was I so happy that you and the children had been sent away as when we were attacked without warning or provocation. Many were killed that day. I am glad that you were not among them.”

“I am very glad to be among the living as well,” Sigyn replied with a polite smile. “I assume you have much work to attend to today, so I shall take the children to your chambers and work on unpacking our trunks. Perhaps we shall join you for supper in the dining halls later today.” She held her hands out and Nari and Vali each took one. “Thank you, Allfather, for returning us to our true home at long last.” With that, she turned and left Heimdall’s station and began the long walk across the newly rebuilt Bifrost towards the palace. She spent the time wondering how her life would change, yet again, now that Loki was living as king in disguise. Somehow, she didn’t see a happy ending for them.

(SCENE)

Upon entering Odin’s chambers, the servants showed Sigyn and the children their sleeping chambers. Nari and Vali each had their own chamber and Sigyn was to stay in Frigga’s room which adjoined Odin’s. How convenient, Sigyn thought to herself with a roll of her eyes.

Each boy spent an hour unpacking his trunks into his new room, and changing out of Midgardian clothing and back into Asgardian clothing. Sigyn did the same as well, and thought her old clothes felt strange on her after all this time. She affixed her dagger to her waist and left her chamber to find her sons. “My loves, how good it is to see you in those clothes again,” she said upon seeing them.

Nari had put his sax on again and placed his hand on the hilt. “I have missed this,” he admitted.

“Shall we go to the dining halls for supper?” Sigyn asked. “We are sure to see many people we have wanted to see for a long time.”

“I do not remember the way there,” Vali said, furrowing his brow.

“I remember; I shall show you,” Sigyn replied before walking towards the door.

“Perhaps there will be pizza,” Nari said longingly.

“Or hotdogs,” Vali added with a sigh.

“I do not think there will be either of those things,” Sigyn said gently. “We ate those for the first time in Midgard, do you recall?”

Nari sighed. “I shall miss pizza and hotdogs,” he replied.

“So shall I,” Vali replied sadly.

“Perhaps I can work with the kitchens to create our own versions,” Sigyn offered. “I do intend to continue with pickling and preserving, after all.”

Nari and Vali grinned at the thought. “Your creations will be very popular here,” Nari predicted.

When they arrived at the dining halls, they saw that half of it was closed off. There were stone masons hard at work repairing the damage to the room during the recent battle. Sigyn’s heart pounded and she was instantly grateful that she and her children hadn’t been present for the attack.

They walked to the Allfather’s table and Lady Sif, Volstagg, and Fandral were there to greet them. Hugs, kisses, and well wishes were exchanged by one and all. “Look how big you two have gotten,” Volstagg said to the boys. “I wonder if my children will even recognize you.”

The boys ran off to the other end of the table to join Volstagg’s sons and daughters, and Sigyn sat down with the adults. “Did you see Thor before you returned?” Sif asked.

“No, he must have been in a different part of Midgard,” Sigyn replied. “Though, I would have liked to have wished him farewell before we left. I do not know when I shall see him again.” She looked around the table. “And where is Hogun?”

“He elected to stay behind on Vanaheim in order to help his people rebuild their lives,” Fandral replied. He reached out and took her hand in his. “And might I just tell you how sorry I am for your loss,” he continued. “To have Loki presumed dead so long ago, only to find out he truly lived, yet unable to reunite with him, and have him actually perish long before his time…It staggers the mind. You are now his widow again. If there is anything you need, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask. I would be only too happy to help you.”

Sigyn nodded her head and smiled politely. “I thank you, Fandral, for your kindness at this sad time in my life,” she replied. “At the moment, what I need the most is for my sons to resume their weapons training. They did not get any training in Midgard, save for their karate lessons. They did very well with that, but it didn’t involve weaponry of any sorts. And with Thor gone as well, I have nobody to do this for them…”

Fandral nodded his head and squeezed her hand. “Say no more, my lady,” he replied. “I shall personally see to it that their practice resumes immediately. I know not what ‘karate’ is, but perhaps it has its own uses. I shall look into it when we begin training again.”

“I thank you, Fandral,” Sigyn replied while carefully trying to extricate her hand from his. She wondered why he was being so kind and attentive to her, but did her best to ignore it.

Volstagg helped by approaching her to speak about her life on Midgard. Fandral finally let go of her and they all sat down to eat while she regaled them with tales of her life there. They were fascinated with them. Volstagg in particular, loved to hear about all the foods Midgard had to offer and was very excited about her plans to recreate some of it on Asgard.

“It is good of you to move in to the Allfather’s chambers,” Sif commented at one point. “He so loves his son’s sons that it will be good for them to spend more time together.”

“Yes, I am happy to let him have more time with them,” Sigyn replied. “He is much changed since I last saw him.”

Sif glanced down the table at Odin for a moment before nodding in agreement. “He seems older now, feebler, as if old age has finally come upon him,” she replied.

“Hopefully you and the children will help restore his vitality once again.”

“I can only hope so,” Sigyn replied.

When the evening meal ended, Sigyn and her sons walked back with Odin to their new home. Odin clung to her arm for support as they walked. “I do not move as well as I once did,” Odin said with a chuckle.

Once they arrived back at their home, Odin banished all the servants for the night, claiming that Sigyn could tend to all his needs from now on after the day had ended. When they had all left, Odin stood before the family and slowly his form changed from that of the older man, to the form of Loki. Loki was young, full of vitality, and laughed heartily at the shocked looks on his sons’ faces.

“Far! I knew it!” Vali cried.

Loki knelt down before his children and held his arms out to them. Both Nari and Vali rushed forward and hugged him. “Oh my sons,” Loki murmured, his mirth turning to sentimentality. “Oh my sons…” He covered both of their faces with kisses and tears. He never thought that being reunited with his children after such a long absence would affect him so greatly. His heart was overwhelmed with love to see them again, and regret for what he had missed out on and guilt for what he had put them through.

At some point in time, all three of them ended up on the floor and both boys clung desperately to their father, sobbing inconsolably. Sigyn knelt down on the floor and wrapped her arms around her family, adding her tears and kisses to theirs. Loki stroked her hand and spoke into her mind. “We have met minds and souls so often, but I do miss the feeling of your skin. I shall very much enjoy our reunion tonight.”

“Far, I missed you so much!” Nari wailed. “Why did you make us leave?”

“My son, it was not safe here,” Loki said. “I did not want anything to harm any of you.” Nari sniffled and leaned his head in against his father’s shoulder. Vali wiped away his tears and settled in next to Loki, and both seemed determined not to let him leave them ever again.

After a while, they got up off the floor and moved over to the benches by the fireplace. The boys attached themselves to Loki as they sat and talked about their experiences since seeing him last. Loki didn’t want the moment to end, but also felt a desperate, insatiable need to be with his wife. After watching the boys put on a karate demonstration for him, he applauded and stood up. “My sons are clever and talented, are they not, my wife?” he asked, holding his hand out to her.

“The cleverest and most talented,” she replied, taking his hand and moving to his side. She wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. “The most wonderful sons ever given to anyone. And now, my lovelies, it is time for bed.”

“But mor, we aren’t tired!” Nari exclaimed. He demonstrated this by doing another karate chop in the air.

Vali smiled slyly and leaned over to whisper into his brother’s ear. Both boys giggled a moment later. “We shall go to our chambers and let you retire to yours…We shall see you tomorrow,” Vali said to his parents.

The boys hugged and kissed them before retiring to their chambers, leaving Loki and Sigyn alone in the living room. Sigyn looked at her husband, feeling shy all of a sudden. “Loki, I have waited for this day for so long,” she whispered.

Loki looked down into Sigyn’s beautiful brown eyes and his heart pounded nervously. “I too have waited. I have been through so many perils and so many troubles to get here. Your mind and soul are the only thing that kept me going. The thought of one day reuniting with you in the flesh has consumed me since I returned to Asgard…”

Sigyn stood on her toes and gently pressed her lips to his. The energy that always flowed between them when they kissed was still there. Loki wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closely to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him. When they finally pulled away from one another to catch their breath, Loki saw a gleam in his wife’s eye. She took his hand in hers and began to pull him in the direction of her new sleeping chamber. “Let us not delay in the reunion of our flesh,” she whispered huskily. “I only get you as my husband at night after our servants are dismissed. By the morrow, you shall have to return to Odin’s form, and I shall have to live as your widow once again.”

Loki hurried alongside her to her sleeping chamber, eager to enjoy her pleasures at long last. As soon as he shut and locked the door of her chamber, and turned around to face Sigyn, his clothing dissipated from his body and reappeared in a pile on the floor at his feet. Her clothing had done the same thing. He grinned and walked towards her. “Your powers have grown since we were last together…” he commented.

“I had a good instructor,” Sigyn replied with a grin that matched his. Loki stopped when he reached her and ran his hands up and down her arms. He leaned in and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss and ran her hands over his back and buttocks. She pulled away from him and whispered in his ear. “I do not want this gentle, timid coupling, my husband. We have been parted much too long for that. Let our passions control us this night, and every night.”

Loki didn’t need to be told a second time and guided Sigyn over to her bed. He watched as she lay down and looked expectantly at him. “Well? Do not keep me waiting any longer, for I cannot stand to be this close to you when we could be even closer…”

Loki joined his wife on the bed and gently pressed himself against her. He had never forgotten how wonderful it felt to be this close to her, but the reality of it, after such a long absence from her, was even better than he remembered. He was torn between wanting to partake in a passionate, frenzied coupling or a torturously slow, sensuous love-making with his wife, and in the end, they did both. Sigyn and Loki made love for hours that night. Sometimes it was slow and languid, and at times it was frantic. At one point, Loki was concerned that they might wake the entire realm or perhaps cause the bed to collapse. Neither event occurred though, and when they both could no longer take any more couplings, they fell into a comfortable sleep. Loki’s body was still pressed against Sigyn’s, and she had her arms wrapped around him.

The next morning, Loki took his wife hurriedly against the door adjoining their rooms, while she clung tightly to him, her legs wrapped around his waist. It would have to be enough satisfaction to last them until the evening when they could unite once again. Sigyn was sad to watch her husband dress for the day and transform himself back into Odin. She sighed and sat down on the bed to relax. “I think that was the best lovemaking we have ever partaken in,” she commented.

“How did it compare to your night of passion with Thor?” Loki in Odin’s guise asked. 

Sigyn stretched out on the bed and shrugged her shoulders. “Thor who?” she replied with a grin. “I do not even remember it, the memory has faded…”

Loki grinned and had to force himself not to join his wife on the bed. “I’m very glad to hear that, and it reminds me that I still must give you your spanking for that. Something to look forward to tonight, I suppose…” He winked as Sigyn laughed, and left the room before he gave into temptation and spent the entire day with her. He had a realm to rule after all…


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki, Sigyn, and the children adjust to life together on Asgard once again. Will all of them manage to get used to it again?

Sigyn’s first day back was spent getting to know the servants in Odin’s chambers and seeing that Fandral took her sons for their weapons training as he’d promised to do. There was still a lot of unpacking to do as well. She missed having Brynja there to help and to talk with. The new servants were polite, but none of them seemed like they would ever be as much of a friend to her as Brynja had been.

At the midday meal, Nari and Vali joined in with Volstagg’s children at the far end of the table, and Fandral joined Sigyn. He insisted on preparing a plate of food for her and sat next to her while they ate and talked. “The children are indeed behind in their training, but I have no doubt that they will catch up quickly,” he assured her. “The karate lessons they learned are fascinating. They demonstrated for me what they learned. I think they will be able to incorporate that training into their proper training here.”

“I’m very glad to hear this,” Sigyn replied. “I hope they manage to readjust to life here as they became quite attached to life on Midgard.”

“Letting the children spend time together is the best way to ensure that,” Fandral replied as he nodded at the end of the table where Nari was holding court as the other children looked on with fascination at whatever he was saying. After a moment, he returned his attention to Sigyn and placed one of his hands on hers. “And how about you, my dear? How are you readjusting? I know you have been parted from your dear handmaiden, and between that and losing your husband again…You must be quite beside yourself. I would be happy to help you in any way possible. Would you like for me to find you a new handmaiden? A woman of your station will need at least one.”

Sigyn glanced over at Odin and saw him frowning at them. She did her best to move her hand, but Fandral was holding it too tightly. “Actually, that would be wonderful, thank you,” she replied with a polite smile. She tugged on her hand and Fandral let go, so she could begin to eat her meal. She wondered what he wanted, but didn’t have the nerve to ask him.

Much later that night, during a lull in their lovemaking, Loki ran his fingertips over the skin of Sigyn’s stomach and thighs and spoke quietly. “I believe Fandral intends to be a suitor,” he said. “He means to marry you and give you many sons. He isn’t used to rejection, so keep a close eye on him.”

“Do you really think so?” Sigyn asked with a sigh as his caresses grew more intense.

“I do. He is trying to ingratiate himself to you and the boys,” Loki replied as his hand found its quarry.

Sigyn moaned and lay back in the bed, enjoying her husband’s ministrations. “I don’t intend to take him as a lover,” she panted. “You needn’t worry, my love…”

Loki was unable to respond, as he was putting his mouth to better use, so he spoke into her mind instead. “You’d better not, my wife. I should hope that I was enough for you, even if we must remain apart during the day.” When Sigyn cried out from her pleasure, he took that to mean she agreed wholeheartedly.

When he finished with her, he sat up and wrapped Sigyn in his arms. He kissed her cheeks and forehead and held her tightly. “Oh Loki, you have no idea how badly I have missed you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. “And I don’t just mean our couplings, though it has been absolutely wonderful. I mean these times. Quiet moments in one another’s arms, just feeling you next to me and hearing your heartbeat and touching your skin with mine. I love these times.”

Loki leaned his head against his wife’s head and closed his eyes. “So do I, my Sjalsfrande,” he murmured. “I wish that these moments would never end…”

But end they must, and the next morning, Sigyn watched with great sadness as her handsome husband transformed himself into Odin. “You must tell me soon what has happened to Odin and how you ended up back here,” she said as he began to walk to her door to leave for the day. “All in good time, my wife,” he replied.

“All in good time.” Sigyn’s curiosities would have to wait until he was ready to explain everything. For now, he was enjoying keeping her in suspense.

Loki stopped at the breakfast table to enjoy a meal with his sons that morning. It was strange to have to pretend to be their grandfather, but they seemed to enjoy the game. “It is difficult to remember that you are dead, far,” Nari said casually as they ate. “But during our weapons training all Fandral does is ask after mor. I think he wishes to become our new far…”

“Yes, he asks how mor fares and if she needs a strong and able-bodied man to help out with anything,” Vali added. “If only he knew you were still here!”

Loki frowned. “Perhaps Odin needs to have a word with him about leaving his family alone,” he murmured. “Your training should be spent learning weaponry, not answering silly questions about your mother.”

The boys were very good about never revealing the truth of Loki’s deception to anybody. Two weeks passed without any events. Life appeared to be returning to normal for everybody. The boys spent their mornings with schooling lessons with Sigyn and the rest of their day with the weapons training or horsemanship instruction. Vali and Nari did very well at the start, but over time, Nari began to have trouble behaving again. His instructors started to punish him, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

Sigyn did her best to talk with him, but he grew angrier with each passing day. “My love, what is wrong? Why are you so angry?” she asked one morning at the breakfast table.

Nari turned and glared at Loki. “It is far’s fault!” he cried. “The other students tease us that far is dead and I can’t tell them that it isn’t so!”

Loki frowned and shook his head. “I am sorry that the students tease you, but I do not see what I can do about it,” he replied. “You must do your best to ignore them, but I don’t want to hear of you disrespecting your instructors any more or I will have to begin to punish you myself.”

Nari glared at his father and shook his head. “None of this would be happening if I was still on Midgard,” he muttered.

“Well you’re back here now, and you need to accept that,” Loki snipped.

Nari stood up and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him. Loki shook his head and returned to his food without responding.

“I do wish you’d be a little more understanding of Nari,” Sigyn chided her husband. “He is very young and has so many feelings he has to handle.”

“Do not give me advice, woman,” Loki hissed. “I am the head of this family, am I not? I will not be treated like a child by my own wife!”

Sigyn frowned and shook her head. She knew that he hated to have it pointed out that he did not know his sons as well as he could have or should have. When the meal ended, she stood up and held her hand out to Vali. “Come, my love, let us go find your brother and begin our lessons for the day,” she said. She left her husband at the table and said nothing more to him, knowing it was best to leave him alone.

That night, when Loki joined Sigyn in her chambers, he apologized to her. “I shouldn’t let the children upset me like that,” he said quietly. “It was wrong of me to speak to Nari that way and I shall apologize to him in the morning.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to Sigyn’s.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders and allowed him to kiss her for several minutes. “I am sorry that we quarreled,” she murmured.

“The best part of quarreling is the making up afterwards,” Loki replied. He made sure to make it up to his wife several times over that night, and they fell asleep on much better terms.

Loki did his best to speak more kindly to Nari after that, and tried to understand why his son was upset with him. He and Nari had more discussions over the next couple of weeks, but Nari remained unhappy.

One day, at the breakfast table, Loki joined his sons and broke his fast with them. “May I visit the throne room today, Allfather?” Vali asked. “You used to let me…”

Loki looked carefully at his son before answering. “I am having dealings with the Jotuns, and they are sending a representative today,” he replied. “Are you sure you wish to be there with him?”

Vali bit his lip and squirmed uncomfortably. “Perhaps I shall just go to weapons training today,” he said quietly.

Nari’s face lit up and he sat forward in his seat. “Allfather, I wish to meet the Jotun!” he cried excitedly. “May I come today? Please?”

Loki considered this carefully. Did he really want to expose his children, particularly the one who was enthusiastic about his Jotun blood, to the filth that was the Frost Giants? It was horrible enough that he had passed along that heritage to them in the first place, but to purposely let them interact with the Frost Giants…It went against his instincts to allow it, but Nari was so eager. He knew Nari resented having to return to Asgard, and this was the first time he’d been excited about something since his return.

“Very well,” Loki finally replied. “After your lessons with Sigyn this morning, you may come to the throne room to observe my dealings. Wear your cleanest outfit, and make sure to wear your sax.”

“Yes Allfather, I will,” Nari said with a grin.

Loki left soon afterwards, and Nari and Vali had their lessons with Sigyn when they had finished their meal. Nari could hardly concentrate from the anticipation of meeting a real Frost Giant, and Sigyn finally gave up trying to force him to pay attention, and dismissed him early from the lesson. “Go join the Allfather in the throne room,” she said with a sigh.

Nari hopped out of his seat, wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, mor, I love you,” he said before running to his sleeping chambers to change his clothes.

He returned a while later, wearing his best tunic, his sax, polished and tied about his waist, and his hair freshly combed. “You look so handsome, my son,” Sigyn declared upon seeing him. “Just like your father.”

“Thank you mor,” he said before taking his leave. He felt very proud of himself as he walked purposefully through the palace halls to the throne room. Guards and servants bowed to him as he walked by, and he nodded his head in greeting to them. It felt good to be so respected. He strode into the throne room with a swagger in his step, and bowed to the Allfather when he instructed him to sit at his right side during the proceedings.

“You shall prove your worth today, my child,” Odin said before everybody else in the room. “Not many boys your age get such an honor. Remember that, my son’s son.”

“Yes Allfather.” Nari sat as still as he could, and concentrated on everything everybody said. When the Jotun representative was led into the room, Nari’s heart raced in excitement. The Jotun man was very tall and dark blue, with red, beady eyes. He stopped before Odin and Nari and bowed politely.

Odin introduced himself and all the other men in the room. “It is our pleasure to have dealings with you this day,” he said graciously. The Jotun bowed again and turned his attention to Nari. “And who is this?” he asked, looking surprised to see a child there.

Odin looked down at Nari. “Would you like to introduce yourself?” he asked quietly.

Nari stood up and bowed formally to the Jotun. “I am Nari Lokison of Asgard,” he said in a clear voice. “It is an honor and pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“And I am Ranulf Laufeyson,” the Jotun said with a slight smile. “And you look exactly like your departed father…”

Nari looked at the man shrewdly. “If you are Laufeyson…then you are my farbror,” he replied.

Ranulf bowed. “You are correct,” he confirmed. “Your father and I had the same birth father. Laufey is greatly missed by his family.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Nari replied. “Is there anything I might do for you?”

Ranulf smiled down at Nari. Odin shifted in his throne, feeling uncertain about how the other man was looking at his son. “You are quite a polite young man,” Ranulf replied quietly. “You are been raised with all the proper Asgardian manners as befits a princeling such as yourself. You do your mother proud, for she raised you well.”

“I thank you,” Nari said with a nod of his head. “My mother, Sigyn Kjellsdottir, is a wonder among all the women of Asgard. She has devoted herself entirely to myself and my brother Vali.”

“The women of Jotunheim make exceptional mothers as well,” Ranulf said. “Should you wish to meet the women of Jotunheim, or any of your family, you and your brother have only to ask. Jotunheim is the land of your father’s birth, after all. Therefore, it is your birthright as well.”

“I thank you for your generous offer,” Nari replied.

“Very good,” Odin interjected. “That is very kind of you to offer such an honor to my son’s sons. Now, let us move on to the matter at hand…” He didn’t like Ranulf’s kindness towards Nari. It was not the Jotun way. He wondered what the man truly wanted. At the earliest convenient moment, he intended to send Nari back to his mother’s side. But the moment never arose, and Nari stayed the entire day with them.

During the midday meal, eaten in the throne room, Ranulf regaled Nari with exciting tales of Jotunheim and all the adventures that awaited him when he came to visit. Loki knew he was trying to entice the boy, but was largely helpless to stop it without appearing rude or giving himself away.

“In Jotunheim, there are at least five women for every man,” Ranulf said. “Each man has at least three wives, it not more. Laufey himself had sixty wives and at least one hundred concubines.”

Nari’s eyes grew wide. “How many children did he have?”

“At least one hundred and fifty,” Ranulf said.

“Oh my…”

“It is impressive. If you were to live in Jotunheim, you would have your pick of wives. There are countless beautiful women there. But, you are of royal blood, so you would have wives who are also of royal blood. They are the most beautiful.”

“Nari and Vali are sure to marry quite suitable women when they are old enough,” Odin reassured Ranulf.

“They are already betrothed?”

“No, though in the next several years, their mother shall do her duty and form marriage contracts for them.”

Ranulf shook his head. “They will not marry royalty. Thor has fathered no children, officially at least, and you have no other sons or daughters. They cannot marry serving girls, as Loki did, and expect to be respected by others. They have been born into a role set for failure here in Asgard…”

Loki remained silent even though he wanted nothing more than to strangle Ranulf for what he’d said about Sigyn. At the same time, Ranulf was right about Nari and Vali’s marriage prospects. Even though the boys were still so young, finding wives for them would take time, and he and Sigyn needed to start looking soon.

Nari seemed even more enamored of Ranulf as the meal went on. Everything he said about Jotunheim made it seem like a veritable wonderland of fun, freedom, and no real responsibilities. Any child would long to live there.

At the end of the meal, Nari stood up and demonstrated his Jotun form for Ranulf. Loki had never seen his sons in their Jotun forms and had to force himself not to yell at Nari to stop and return to his mother immediately. His son’s pale blue skin and light red eyes made Loki feel ill, and made his own skin itch.

“What a fine Jotun you truly are,” Ranulf said with a smile before reaching down and patting Nari’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Nari said with a grin. He looked over and saw Odin frowning at him. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. With a sigh, he transformed back into his Asgardian form.

When the midday meal ended, the men turned their focus back to negotiations, and Nari sat silently and observed the dealings. Loki was very good at getting what he wanted from the Jotuns, and Nari was filled with pride to watch him work. One day, hopefully, he would be king and would have the same talent at negotiations that Loki had.

When the meeting concluded, Ranulf said his farewells and left the throne room, escorted by guards. Odin stood up from his throne and held his arm out to Nari. “Come child, and help an old man back to his chambers,” he said in a tired voice.

Nari reached out, took Odin’s arm, and helped him walk out of the room and through the halls back to their home. “I am very appreciative of the opportunity to join you today in such important business matters,” he said, looking up at Odin and smiling.

“Hopefully you found it to be an invaluable lessons in diplomacy,” Odin replied.

Loki was in the unenviable position of having to choose between his sons for the next heir to the throne. Odin would not live indefinitely, so Loki had to plan on passing down the ruling of Asgard to one of his children at some point in time. He was enjoying his fun and games now, but knew it couldn’t last forever. He would find a new way to remain outside his prison cell at that time. Nari was the eldest and by rights the throne should go to him. But where did that leave Vali? Vali had the better mind for ruling, Loki knew, but then where did that leave Nari? Nari wanted the throne. He hungered for it, dreamed of it. He was counting on the day when Mjolnir would be placed in his hands. Vali didn’t desire the throne. He thought of it as a duty to the people of Asgard, and that is why Loki thought he was the better choice. He hated the thought of breaking Nari’s heart, though. Being a parent and a king really was difficult at times.

When they arrived back at their chambers, Loki dismissed the servants for the night and transformed himself into his normal guise. He sat on a bench and listened to Vali tell him about his lessons and the exciting ride he’d taken that afternoon with two of Volstagg’s sons and the Lady Sif. “She is teaching us how to track animals for hunting,” he said. “I was the one who tracked them the fastest!”

“I am very proud of you, my son,” Loki said as Sigyn handed him a draught of wine. “One day we shall feast upon your first kill and it will taste all the more delicious for it.”

Vali grinned and nodded. “Soon, I hope,” he replied.

Sigyn had ordered supper to be brought to their chambers that evening, so the four of them sat at the supper table and talked while they ate their meal. Loki told them about his dealings with Ranulf and Nari told them what it was like to meet a Frost Giant for the first time. “He spoke to me, mor, and I turned into my Jotun form so he wouldn’t feel alone. He told me all about Jotunheim. It sure sounds like a cool place,” he said with great enthusiasm, and borrowing a word he’d picked up from his Midgardian friends. “I sure would love to visit there one day.”

Sigyn shivered and shook her head. “I do not think you should go there,” she replied. “Jotunheim is full of enemies who would think nothing of slaying you as soon as you got there.”

“But they are my family,” Nari said, frowning.

“They may be related by blood, but they are not your family,” Loki added firmly. “ _We_ are your family. Ranulf made Jotunheim sound ‘cool’ as you put it, but he was trying to entice you. I know not why he did this, but he is not to be trusted. He is a son of Laufey, and none of them can be trusted.”

Sigyn glanced at her husband with a frown on her face. “ _None_ of his sons?” she asked quietly.

Loki glared at her for a moment. “Let us cease this discussion,” he finally said. “Why don’t you tell us of your plans for planting a garden this spring season?”

Sigyn smiled before launching into her ideas for a vegetable garden, and then her plans to preserve them after the harvest. “I also intend to make jerky, which is dried, smoked meat,” she said after a while. “My husband, you have never tasted anything quite as delicious as jerky. You will love it.”

“I will look forward to trying it,” Loki said as he reached out and took her hand in his. “I am glad that you have found such important tasks to keep you occupied. Now that the boys are growing older, you have more time to yourself. I think you will become a renowned gardener and creator of edibles. You will be looked upon as a true innovator.” He leaned in and kissed her. He loved that Sigyn wanted to try her hand at such worthy tasks. She would become a legend among all women of Asgard, and tales would be told of her creations. He was yet again proud to be her husband.

Nari and Vali looked at their parents and rolled their eyes. “May we go to our chambers and play with our toys?” Vali asked as he stood up.

“Yes, you may go now,” Sigyn replied as Loki pulled away from her. “We shall retire as well, so sleep well, my loves.”

Loki kept his hand on hers and gently pulled her to her chambers. “Let the servants clean up the dishes in the morning,” he said. “I will not waste valuable moments with you over servants’ work.”

Sigyn laughed lightly as Loki led her to the bed and pressed her down onto it. “I shall do my best not to feel bad about leaving dirty dishes out all night,” she replied.

Loki unbuttoned her tunic and threw it on the floor. “You won’t have time for thoughts of such trivial matters. I shall see to that,” he said before taking his own clothes off and settling in on top of her.

He put in his best efforts for Sigyn that night, and as promised, her thoughts never once strayed to the dirty dishes. She fell asleep in her husband’s arms much later, feeling contented and safe and very glad to be reunited with him.

(SCENE)

Life continued to settle back into a comfortable routine for the newly-reunited family. Fandral sent over a new handmaiden for Sigyn, and the two quickly adjusted to one another. The girl’s name was Iona, and having her around allowed Sigyn to have a lot more free time in her day to spend giving the children their lessons, and working on her gardening plans. She had met with the royal planters already and had been given a plot of land to use for her own crops. She also showed them the seeds she’d brought back with her from Midgard so they could study them and decide if they would grow well in Asgard without posing any threats to the native plants and animals. She had not known how much planning and studying went into introducing new plants to a new world. The royal planters took their gardening duties very seriously, so she always treated them with the utmost respect.

Nari and Vali began to settle back into life with their Asgardian friends, though Nari still struggled to regain his place. He continued to act up occasionally in weapons training, leading to thrashings by his instructors. He still got into arguments with Loki, and the two of them would yell at one another until Sigyn broke them apart. “You are both acting like children!” she cried. “Nari, go to your sleeping chambers until you can behave properly. And Loki, why don’t you go and read one of your books until your temper calms down?”

Nari stomped off to his chamber and slammed the door loudly. Loki scowled at Sigyn. “I do not take orders from my wife,” he growled before turning and walking away.

Sigyn rolled her eyes and returned to her task of setting the dinner table. Nari still had so much difficulty readjusting to life in Asgard. She hated the thought of having to physically discipline her son, but perhaps that was what she needed to do. These were times that she missed Frigga the most, for the older woman would have been able to give her the perfect advice, but Sigyn could no longer turn to her. She had no mother of her own to turn to either.

Over the next week, as the fighting increased, Sigyn reached out to other mothers in the dining halls and asked for their advice. “Nari acts so disrespectfully towards the Allfather, and I do not know how to make him behave…” She received different advice, ranging from washing his mouth out with soap, to whipping him until he complied, but none of it settled well with her.

One night, Sigyn finally asked Nari why he was so angry. “What is the matter, my love?”

Nari frowned and paced the floor, glaring at his father. “I do not like this,” he cried. “Having to pretend far is dead when he is not and that he is the Allfather! I do not like lying! I do not like my new sleeping chamber! I wish to share a chamber with Vali again. And I hate that we left Midgard! I wish I could live with Bruce again! Or with Ranulf in Jotunheim. Anywhere but here!”

It stung Loki to know that his son preferred Bruce Banner or Ranulf over him. It was another bit of proof of his general unworthiness to see that his own children did not value him. “Well, you are here now, and not yet a man grown, so you will just have to readjust to life here whether you like it or not!” he snarled.

“Why should I?” Nari screamed. “I know you intend to name Vali as your heir! I know you love him more than you love me! I _should_ go to Jotunheim and live with Ranulf. You would be rid of me that way!”

Loki looked at his son, the one who looked like a miniature version of himself, and felt his heart break. Everything Nari had said was true, and he wouldn’t try to patronize him by denying it or trying to make it sound nice. “You are right,” he said with a sigh. “I do intend to name Vali as the heir, as I feel he has the better temperament for leading this realm. I am sorry, my son…This is not fair to either of you children.”

Nari, upon hearing his father speak truthfully for once, began to cry. He threw his arms around Loki’s shoulders and Loki clasped him tightly against him. They cried together for some time as Sigyn looked on, sobbing quietly. “I love you, far, but I can’t be here anymore,” Nari murmured after a few minutes.

Loki rocked Nari in his arms, knowing he had a very difficult decision to make. “I love you too, my son,” he said, kissing Nari’s cheeks. “Let me contemplate this tonight and in the morning I shall tell you my decision.”

That night, Loki kissed Sigyn, but did not go to her chambers. “I must think about what to do for Nari,” he said before going to his own chambers alone.

Sigyn didn’t sleep that night. She could feel Loki’s distress and anguish, and soon it became her own. She knew that whatever her husband decided, it would change all of their lives again, most likely forever.

Loki spent the night trying to decide what the best option for Nari was. Sending him to live on Jotunheim was the last thing he wanted to do, but Ranulf had made it sound so appealing he feared Nari would find a way to run away there if Loki didn’t somehow prevent it.

Staying on Asgard didn’t appeal to Nari, and no wonder. There would be little more than soldiering to look forward to, and a prince of Asgard deserved more than that.

Nari had thrived and been happiest on Midgard. Loath though Loki was to admit it, Bruce Banner had been a good caretaker for his family. Would the man be willing to take Nari under his care on a permanent basis? Brynja was there with him, and would become as a mother to him. Who better to care for his son than a woman who had been present at his birth? She had been there for all of Nari’s late night feedings and changings and his first steps and words. Loki knew Sigyn would feel better knowing that Brynja was raising Nari in her stead.

The final question was whether or not Loki could humble himself enough to ask an enemy to take care of his child for him, and if Loki could willingly send his son away again after finally reuniting with him. He hated the thought of sending Nari away, but he knew it would be best for his son. He was not a humble man, by any means, but for his sons, he would do anything. He loved them as much as he loved life itself. It would be a humiliation to ask another man to care for his son, but for Nari’s happiness, he would do it. Once his decision was made, he spent the rest of the night mourning the loss of Nari in his daily life again.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Loki told his family of the decision he’d made. “I think this would be best for us all,” he said in conclusion.

Sigyn wept silently, and Vali frowned and folded his arms. “But he is my brother!” he cried. “I should go where he goes!” He began to sob and Sigyn hugged him to her side.

“The Bifrost is repaired and available to us to use,” Loki said as happily as he could. “We can all visit each other whenever we wish to.”

The reality of leaving his family behind hit Nari and he cried as well. “I wish we could all live together on Midgard!” he wailed.

It was very difficult for Loki to assume Odin’s guise that day. He wanted nothing more than to stay in his home with his family, but he had to rule the realm. As the day passed, he drafted a letter to Bruce and Brynja, asking if they would be willing to foster Nari. That afternoon, he sent for Sigyn and asked her to deliver it to them herself.

Sigyn wanted to scream at Loki and tell him she would not. Or tell him that all three of them would return together to stay with Bruce and Brynja. But sending one’s sons to be fostered by another was a perfectly natural and common thing to do, so she wouldn’t receive much sympathy from the other mothers. They would chide her for her weakness and say she was being selfish for holding her son back. She had to be brave, and ignore her own sadness and desires in order to let Nari thrive and reach his full potential.

“Yes, my lord,” was her quiet response as she took the note out of Odin’s outstretched hand. As she walked towards Heimdall’s station to be transported to Midgard, she thought about how much she would miss seeing Nari grow and how empty her life would feel without him being near her every day. She supposed that one day Nari would be a man grown, and would have a home and family of his own and would no longer be a part of her life every day. It was just happening sooner than she had wanted.

Bruce was shocked to open the door of the house and see Sigyn standing on the porch. Brynja ran over and gave her a hearty hug and kissed her cheeks. “My lady, what brings you here?” she asked as Sigyn stepped into the house.

Sigyn told them what had happened to her family since returning to Asgard, and held her letter out to Bruce. “The Allfather asks if you would foster Nari,” she concluded as he read the letter. “I know it is asking a lot of you both, but…will you agree to it?”

Bruce looked at Brynja for a moment. Brynja smiled at him. “We would be happy to,” he replied. “It’s been so quiet here without the boys around. We miss all of you so much.”

Sigyn began to cry and Brynja wrapped her arms around her again. “My faithful friend, I must ask you to be a mother to my son now,” Sigyn sobbed.

“I love Nari almost as much as you do, my lady,” Brynja replied. “I will strive to be the best foster mother to him that I can be. Do not fret or worry about it. And you must visit us and we will visit you. At least every month. You will see, this will not be such a terrible thing.”

Sigyn nodded in agreement. “I shall count down the days between visits,” she replied.

By the time she left that afternoon, they had decided to give Nari a week to pack his belongings and say his final farewells to his Asgardian friends and family. Brynja would come up to Asgard to get Nari and bring him back with her. Bruce would contact Director Fury about getting Nari citizenship papers so he could attend school and become a full-fledged member of American society. Word would also be sent to Thor so he would know that his nephew was there as well. “Maybe he’ll be able to visit,” Bruce said hopefully.

Sigyn felt better knowing that Thor would be informed of Nari’s coming to live on Midgard. Knowing he was going to live with people he already knew and loved and having a farbror there who knew him so well went a long way in comforting her heart.

Nari spent his last week in Asgard packing everything he owned, and making his farewells. He and Vali spent every moment they could together and vowed to visit each other often. “We have never been parted,” Vali said at one point in time.

Nari hugged his brother. “We are always connected. Can you not feel it? The way mor and far’s souls are connected, so ours are too,” he said. “Let us spend the rest of our time together practicing speaking into our minds as mor and far do.”

The boys stayed up all night one of the nights, practicing. It took a long time, but finally they managed it. “I can hear you, Vali!” Nari cried out after his brother had thought something. You thought that I’m a smelly troll…Hey!”

Vali laughed. “I had to think something interesting…” he replied. Nari closed his eyes and concentrated on his thoughts. Vali listened carefully and smiled. “I love you too, brother,” he replied after a minute.

Once their connection had been made, it grew quickly, and they were able to communicate with each other no matter where they were in the palace. “I hope it’ll stretch to Midgard,” Vali said in their last night before Nari’s departure.

“Me too,” Nari replied. “I am sure it will…”

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Vali whispered as tears filled his eyes.

Nari wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders and held him tightly. “We will both be all right. We will grow strong on our own, as we must. Our souls will always be joined even if we are not in the same room or the same realm. We are a part of each other.”

“You have always been the strong, brave one,” Vali cried. “I need you with me!”

“You will learn to be brave and strong on your own now,” Nari said. “And perhaps I will learn to be smart and wise like you too.”

“We shall always be brothers.”

“Brothers now and forever.”

When Sigyn went into Nari’s room the next morning to help him get ready to leave, she found him and Vali, asleep in his bed. They were holding hands. Tears sprang to her eyes and it was one of the hardest things she ever did when she woke them up. “My loves, it is time to prepare Nari for his departure…” she said quietly before leaning down and kissing their foreheads.

Nari slowly got up and dressed for the day. Loki summoned him to his sleeping chamber to say his farewell privately before having to transform into Odin’s body.

Neither Sigyn nor Vali were privy to what was said, but Sigyn saw a flash of Nari sitting on Loki’s lap. They were hugging and shedding tears and whispers. She knew that all the anger between them had dissipated and been forgiven. The love was strong between her husband and her eldest child and that helped her to feel better as well.

Once they had broken their fast, Loki turned himself into Odin, and they walked, slowly, out of the palace and across the Bifrost to Heimdall’s station. Brynja had already arrived and was speaking with Heimdall about her new life in Asgard. She turned and smiled as Nari and his family approached.

Nari hugged everybody one last time. When he hugged Sigyn, he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Thank you, mor, for allowing me to do this. You are the best mor there ever was.”

“Oh my son,” she murmured in reply. “You take care of yourself, and I will visit you often.”

Odin petted Nari’s head. “Now, be respectful, and honor our family name, and remember always that you are a son of Loki…A prince of Asgard.”

“Yes Allfather.” Nari bowed to Odin before turning and hugging Vali one last time. “I love you,” he whispered into his brother’s mind. Finally, he pulled away and walked over to Brynja. “I am ready,” he announced. He turned and faced his family as Heimdall prepared to transport him and Brynja back to Midgard. He smiled and waved to them just as a white light enveloped him. It was so bright he had to close his eyes.

Sigyn watched as her son disappeared from view. Her throat closed as she tried to maintain her composure, but she could feel a small part of her soul, the part that was attached to him, stretch out as far as time and space stretched, and followed Nari to Midgard. She would never break this connection to him, no matter how far away he was, and it made her feel glad.

With a sigh, she took Vali’s hand and turned to walk back to the palace. Odin placed his hand on her other arm and walked with them. “He is gone from us now,” he said quietly. “Though I can feel him still.”

“He will always be connected to us,” Vali replied, looking up at Odin and smiling.

“Nothing will ever truly separate the four of us,” Sigyn added. “We have only to look within ourselves to find the one who is missing, and there they shall be. They are never truly gone.” She held her head up high and smiled sadly. “Now, let us go home, and Vali, I shall give you your lessons for the day.”

“Yes mor.”

The family walked in silence after that, back to the palace.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn plays the trickster to Loki. Loki manages to find a way to take Sigyn as his lover. Vali takes steps to his training to become king one day.

Two months had passed agonizingly slowly since Nari had returned to Midgard, and Sigyn still missed him terribly. She had visited twice, and was satisfied that he was happy and healthy and that Bruce and Brynja were taking excellent care of him, but it still didn’t change the fact that he was away from her and she couldn’t hug him or kiss him or tuck him into bed at night. That privilege belonged to Brynja now.

Nari was adjusting well to life with Bruce and Brynja. He loved getting all of their attention and attending the Midgardian school he now went to with his best friend Billy. Bruce was teaching him to read and write English and he was catching on very quickly. Bruce had been able to get papers from Nick Fury, so Nari was now considered to be an official American citizen. Bruce had reassured Sigyn that it usually took a lot more time than that to become a citizen, but that Director Fury had “ways” of speeding the process along.

Thor had also been contacted and now knew of his brorson’s presence, but had not come to see him yet, saying that he wished to give Nari time to settle in before visiting. Nari was looking forward to the day when Thor would pay him a visit.

Vali and Nari were successful in communicating through their minds, which made both of them feel happier about being so far apart. Vali was slowly growing more independent now that his brother was not there to overshadow him. He loved getting all of his parents’ attention, even if most of the time he had to pretend Loki was dead and that he lived with the Allfather. He was thriving in his schooling and weapons training. He was proving to be a very skilled swordsman in his own right, and the Allfather had commissioned Kjell to forge a sax for Vali to have for his own. “You are a prince of Asgard, and you must always be armed,” Odin told him at the midday meal one day. “You must always be on your guard.”

“Yes, Allfather,” Vali replied quietly.

When the sax had been finished, Odin presented it to Vali at supper one night in front of everybody in the dining hall. Vali bowed and accepted the sax while Sigyn cried tears of happiness and pride. Vali found that he enjoyed the attention when the room erupted into cheers as he held the sax aloft for all to see.

It was not a surprise when, a month later, Odin announced that Vali would be named the official heir to the throne of Asgard later that year in a ceremony. At that time, Vali would work with Odin to learn all the ways of being a ruler for his people.

Loki felt like his life was very busy. Preparing his son to take over as king, trying to enjoy the times he had with Sigyn, when he wasn’t interrupted with important business that needed immediate tending to. He was also very busy keeping an eye on Fandral, who seemed with each passing day, more and more determined to become Sigyn’s suitor. Not a day went by that he wasn’t showering her with gifts or stopping by Odin’s chambers to pay her an unexpected visit because he was “just passing by”. At meals in the dining hall, Fandral made plates of food for Sigyn and sat next to her, asking how her day had been and if she was in need of anything. He was fond of placing his hand on hers, or on her shoulder or about her waist. More than once, Loki saw Fandral’s hand slip down to touch Sigyn’s backside or “accidentally” brush against her breasts. He knew it wouldn’t be very long before Fandral became even more aggressive in what he expected in return from Sigyn.

Sigyn was unsure of how to conduct herself around him. She was technically Loki’s widow and to act otherwise would draw suspicion to them. She was not at all interested in having Fandral as a suitor, though she did enjoy his friendship.

One day, Fandral stopped by to join Sigyn at the breakfast table, while Odin and Vali ate quietly and did their best to ignore him. “My lady, I would ask your permission to court you properly,” Fandral said with a smile as Sigyn buttered her toast.

Sigyn set her knife and toast down on her plate and took a deep breath. She glanced over at her son and saw his look of disgust and shook her head. “Fandral, I want to thank you for your interest in my happiness. You have been a great friend and I appreciate it very much,” she began, turning to look very carefully at him. “But I am going to have to say no. I am sorry, but I am still mourning the loss of my husband and don’t feel ready for suitors yet.”

Fandral’s face fell and he sighed. “Very well, my lady,” he replied with as much dignity as he could muster. “I shall wait patiently until you are ready. Perhaps when the time is right, I shall court you and our own love may bud and grow into something beautiful. I should very much like to give you many more sons, especially since one of your own babes now lives so very far from here…”

Sigyn smiled politely and nodded her head. She tried to ignore the pang of loss that coursed through her as she listened to his words. “Perhaps,” she replied, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

Fandral reached out and took her hand in his. He raised it to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. “I hope you will think of me if you should ever need anything, my lady. Even if it has naught to do with a courtship. I should be only too happy to help satisfy any of your needs,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes. “Any at all…If you take my meaning…”

Odin cleared his throat loudly. “Fandral, it has been so nice of you to pay my son’s widow a visit, but we really must break our fast before setting about our business for the day,” he said as politely as he could manage. “Should Sigyn need you for anything, she shall summon you, but until then, perhaps you should return to your own chambers.”

Fandral stood up and bowed politely to the family. “I shall take my leave now, Allfather,” he replied. “My lady, I shall await your summons.” With that, he turned and left the room.

Odin sighed and slumped his shoulders. “That man,” he growled before growling at Sigyn. “And would it kill you to crush his dreams entirely and show him he has no chance at you? I half think you wish to lie with the man the way you led him on!”

Sigyn folded her arms and rolled her eyes as her husband transformed back into his normal guise. “Loki, you know that is not true. I just haven’t the heart to break his. He is so earnest in his devotion…”

Loki’s glare deepened. “You enjoy his attention, I knew it!” he cried.

Sigyn frowned and looked away. “Who does not enjoy attention from others?” she asked honestly. “I have no intentions of lying with Fandral, so you needn’t be concerned about that!” She stood up and walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “My Sjalsfrande, let us not fight about this. I wish only to be with you.”

Loki pouted for a minute before taking her hand in his and pulling her down onto his lap. He pressed his lips to hers and placed a hand on one of her breasts. “I should take you right here,” he murmured. “Just like when we were newly-wedded…”

The two lovers were startled out of their attentions towards one another by a sound of plates clattering loudly nearby. Sigyn jumped and looked over at the noise and saw Vali frowning. “I am trying to eat here,” he said in a disgusted tone. “You are making me lose my appetite!”

Sigyn stood up and smoothed her hair. “Oh, my love, I am sorry,” she replied. “Your far and I just got carried away…”

Vali shook his head. “You should go to your chambers to do that,” he muttered.

Loki frowned. “Do not speak in such a tone to your mother. Do not be so disrespectful,” he said firmly.

Vali sighed. “I’m sorry, mor,” he said. “May I please be excused?”

“Yes, my love. I will be along in a while to start your lessons for the day,” Sigyn replied.

Vali stood up and walked out of the room, muttering to himself. When she was alone with her husband, she sat back down on Loki’s lap and nuzzled his cheek. “Shall I plan on anything special for us tonight?” she asked before kissing his earlobe.

Loki groaned. “I wish, but tonight is a Maiden Night,” he replied mournfully.

Sigyn immediately pulled away from him and frowned deeply. “I hate Maiden Nights,” she said, folding her arms and standing up. Since Nari’s departure, Loki had begun to have what he termed “Maiden Nights” once a week while in the guise of Odin. Odin was known for his prowess with maidens, much as Thor was, and in order to keep up appearances, he had to continue where Odin had left off.

“I hate them too,” Loki said quietly. He truthfully disliked them, finding the maidens to be extremely uninteresting in the way they lay under him looking as though they could not wait for it to be over. It was said though, that a maiden deflowered by the Allfather himself, could increase her bride price at least four times higher than the usual price. Families clamored to have their daughters spend a night with him, but there were more maidens than he had time for, so the competition was great as to which maidens would be with him and which would not.

None of the girls even compared to Sigyn’s pleasures. He resented that he had to give up precious time with her to lie with such boring and silly creatures. But he had to maintain Odin’s image in all ways possible. “I do apologize,” he said a minute later, reaching out to run his fingers up and down his wife’s back. She had turned away from him, but remained on his lap. “Perhaps you could spend the night with Iona,” he suggested quietly. “Wouldn’t you enjoy that?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders and remained facing away from Loki. “Iona is a lovely girl, but it is not the same as with Brynja…”

“Brynja was your first, it makes sense that you would be so attached to her still,” Loki said sympathetically. “Perhaps on your next visit to Midgard, you two could lie together as you once did…”

“Perhaps…” Sigyn replied.

That night, Sigyn watched as Odin led a young maiden into his chamber, and did her best to ignore the images and sensations she felt from her husband. Vali had already gone to bed, so she could not distract herself by reading to him or talking with him, so she ended up calling Iona to join her in her own chambers after all.

Iona was an adequate lover, but Sigyn’s heart still belonged to Brynja, and always would. All Asgardians had lovers of both sexes, it was what made them whole people. Sigyn’s soul belonged to Loki alone, and she gave her heart to him, but she also shared her heart and body with Brynja. Between the two, Sigyn was completed. She knew that Loki understood her perfectly, as he’d had a string of lovers among his own servants over the years as well, though he’d been forced to part from them since he had fallen from the Bifrost so many years ago. He now had to satisfy himself with Odin’s servants, just as she had to adjust to Iona. She might share her body with Iona, and derive pleasure from it, but she did not see how her heart would ever truly be a part of it.

The next morning, Sigyn awoke early, unwrapped Iona’s arms from about her waist, and dressed before anybody else in her family. She was setting the breakfast table when the door to Odin’s chamber opened and the young girl, now a former maiden, sauntered out. She swayed her hips as she walked and ran her fingers through her long raven hair before approaching Sigyn. “My lady, you do not know the wonders of lying with the Allfather,” she said in bragging tones. “Allow me to tell you that he is a most wondrous lover…” She picked up an orange from Sigyn’s tray and began to peel it. “He said I was the most talented maiden he had ever had the privilege to be with.”

Sigyn looked at the girl while trying to maintain her calm demeanor when she really wanted to claw her eyes out. “Isn’t that lovely for you, dear,” she said coolly. “And I suppose you must be off now, so don’t let me keep you here any longer than you need to be.” With that, she grabbed the girl roughly by the arm and forcefully escorted her to the door. She pushed the girl out and slammed the door in her face before the younger girl could even protest.

Sigyn turned and stormed towards Odin’s chambers, but he left the room before she could knock on the door. He grimaced and looked around the room. “Is she gone yet?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes, I just threw her out,” Sigyn snapped. “But don’t bother changing your appearance, because Iona stayed over. She’s in my chambers sleeping still.” She placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “And, I hear you had a wondrous night of lovemaking with that girl? That must have been quite delightful!”

Loki waved her away. “I say that to all the maidens,” he replied. “This girl, whatever her name was, was more abysmal than any of the others. I shall spare you the details, mostly because I cannot remember them. It was that dreadfully dull.”

“Well, I do not want this to continue any longer,” Sigyn said, her frown deepening. “I miss out on time with you, and you hate it as well. I do not see the sense in keeping up with this farce.”

“I do not see how else to keep up Odin’s image,” Loki replied, feeling put out that Sigyn did not appreciate how much he suffered during those infernal Maiden Nights.

“Well, you’d better think of something soon,” Sigyn said angrily. “I will not put up with this for much longer.”

Loki sighed and walked away to break his fast. There was no sense in talking to her when she was in this sort of mood. He would let her calm down for the day and try again that evening. He hated the thought of Sigyn becoming angry enough to withhold her pleasures from him on nights when they could be together. That would be truly terrible.

Sigyn spent her day after giving Vali his lessons, working in her garden and trying to think of ways for Loki to stop his Maiden Nights. She knew he detested them, but still found herself jealous anyway. She hated herself for feeling inadequate even though in her mind she knew she was not. Just the thought of all those girls being thrown at her husband, even if it was only because they thought he was Odin, filled her with wrath and envy. They were traits she did not like about herself, and she had never known existed in her before now.

What was the best way to resolve the issue? She understood why Loki had to keep up the image of Odin. People would grow suspicious or they might start to think his health was failing, which was a very dangerous thing when the heir apparent had not yet been officially named and was still so young in years. Another family could attempt to kill them all and take over as rulers of the realm, as Theoric’s father Ivar had attempted so long ago. Her family and her own life could be truly threatened if that happened.

If only Sigyn’s magic was strong enough that she could turn herself into other people, as Loki could. She would be able to impersonate the maidens and Loki would no longer have to lie with them. Perhaps there was a way to do it without magic…As she weeded her garden, she contemplated how such a thing could be possible. By the time she was finished for the day, she was satisfied with her growing plans to rescue her husband from the maidens.

That night, Loki paid extra attention to Sigyn at the dinner table, and lavished her with praise when she spoke about her gardening updates. After spending time listening to Vali tell of his weapons training, he returned his attention to his wife.

When Vali had gone to his chambers for the night, Loki scooped Sigyn up in his arms and carried her to her chambers. He catered to her every whim and need that night, and found it to be the most satisfying night he’d had in a very long time.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders and sighed happily midway through the night. “I am sure that eventually, you will never have to lie with those boring maidens again and will be able to enjoy only my pleasures…” she murmured in his ear.

“If only that day was here already,” Loki replied with a sigh. “That day cannot come quickly enough.”

Sigyn smiled and leaned in to kiss her husband. “Don’t you worry about it, my husband,” she said a minute later. “I have it all planned out…” With that, she threw him back down on the bed and pounced on him mercilessly.

The next morning, Loki was quite sore, but quite satisfied. “My back is so stiff,” he complained while stretching out.

“Oh, I am sorry,” Sigyn said with a frown as she stood up and rubbed her husband’s back. “Perhaps we were too rambunctious last night.”

“We could never be too rambunctious,” was his reply.

As the week passed, Sigyn worked on her plan to rid Loki of his Maiden Nights in between helping Vali with his schooling and working in her garden. The day before his next Maiden Night, Sigyn asked who had been chosen for him. “Some girl whose father works in the forges,” Loki replied dismissively. “What was her name…Flopsy? No…Missy? No, that’s not it…Oh, it’s Vasti, I think. And don’t bother asking me what she looks like, for I’ve never laid eyes on her before. Not that it would matter. They all look alike after a while…”

Sigyn nodded in understanding. That afternoon, after Vali’s lessons had concluded for the day, she went down to the forges and sought out Vasti’s father. She looked around the large room and memories of her childhood flooded her mind. The sights and smells of heating metal were things she knew well. She had met Loki in this very room. It brought a smile to her face at the thought. After a moment, she shook herself out of her reverie and sought out her father’s assistance. Kjell was able to point him out to her, and when the man had finished working on a sword, she called out to him to discuss certain matters with him.

“I am terribly sorry, but the Allfather is feeling unwell today, and will have to cancel his night with your fair daughter. I do apologize for the inconvenience…” she said to the girl’s father with a sorrowful look on her face. “I have it on good confidence that the Allfather was very much looking forward to his special time with her, but alas, it cannot be helped.”

Vasti’s father looked very disappointed. “Perhaps when he is well again, Vasti may have her chance with him,” he said hopefully.

“I will insist upon it,” Sigyn said reassuringly. She left a short time later, feeling more confident about her plan.

Loki dreaded his Maiden Night all the next day. He wished it was already over, and pouted that night at the supper table. “Well, we must all make sacrifices,” Sigyn said unsympathetically to him as he rolled his eyes. “You must do your duty to this family. There is no other choice.”

“I know, and I shall,” Loki replied in between sips of wine. “Though I must say, you are being rather cool about it. Only yesterday you were threatening to withhold yourself from me unless these nights stopped altogether, and now you’re throwing me to the whims of the maidens without any care.”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “I have realized the import of what you are doing, and how vital it is to our survival,” she replied. “I am trying to help by no longer complaining about it. You should be grateful for that.”

Loki glared at his wife, shocked at her overt cheekiness. He wasn’t sure he liked his wife to be so flippant towards him. It wasn’t her place. “Well then, since I have your blessing, perhaps I shall increase the Maiden Nights to twice per week, or maybe every night…”

“You are free to do what you think is best,” Sigyn replied, not rising to his attempt to anger her.

Loki had no more words, and turned his focus to Vali. They spent the rest of the meal talking about his archery lessons.

After Vali retired to his sleeping chambers, Loki slowly walked to his sleeping chamber to prepare for his Maiden Night. Sigyn quickly ran to her own chambers to dress. She put on a clean white tunic without any ornamentation, and her plainest white slippers. Next, she did her hair in plaits, as befit a maiden, to disguise herself even further. Over her head, she placed a black veil that covered her face entirely. There was nothing in her appearance that would reveal to Loki who she was. All I have to do is make sure to keep my thoughts to myself, and it should work out fine, she thought to herself before leaving the room and walking to Odin’s chambers from the outer door.

The last thing she did before knocking on the door was to put a spell on her voice to disguise it.

With a deep breath, she knocked timidly, as befit a scared maiden. After a few seconds, she heard Odin’s voice call out, “Enter!” With another deep breath to steady her nerves, she pushed the door open and stepped into Odin’s chambers. “Ah, there you are,” Odin called out to her as she quickly closed the door behind her and stepped into the shadows in the corner of the room. “Well, let us begin, shall we? Why do you not step into the light?” He looked at her curiously.

Sigyn stepped out of the shadows that had enveloped her and walked to the foot of Odin’s bed. He gazed at her for a moment with a look of slight confusion on his face. “Why do you keep that veil about your face?” he asked finally.

Sigyn clasped her hands together nervously. “Because, my lord, I am fearful that you shall find me not pleasing to the eye,” she replied quietly.

Odin shook his head. “I am sure your appearance is quite appealing,” he replied. He stood up and began to unbutton his tunic. “Why do you not undress so that I might look upon you,” he commanded.

Sigyn reached her hands up to the first button of her tunic before shaking her head and turning away from him. “No, my lord, I am frightened to be unclothed before a man,” she said, trembling to show how frightened she was.

Odin chuckled. “You wish to lie with me while still clothed? I suppose we can do that, but you won’t find it as enjoyable, I’m afraid.”

Sigyn slowly walked over to Odin’s side and approached him just as he had finished disrobing. She grimaced to see his naked body, and was immediately glad that Loki was not related to him by birth. Odin was rather portly in his older age, and things that might have been muscular and well-toned once, were not any longer.

She sat down on the edge of Odin’s bed and he sat down next to her. She turned her head away to show how uncomfortable she was to see an unclothed man for the first time. “It is better for you if you lie down on the bed this way,” Odin said, directing her on how to lie down.

Sigyn lay back on the bed and said nothing. Odin sat down next to her on the bed and looked at her prone figure. He was already dreading this and wished it was the next morning, but there was nothing to be done for it. He did his best to imagine Sigyn lying there, but he was having difficulty this evening.

Finally, he reached down and lifted her tunic up to her waist. He looked at her half-clothed body for a moment, and frowned again. For a timid and frightened maiden, she was wearing no under garments. Her hips looked broader than a typical maiden’s were, and there was a small mole above her left knee that was nearly identical to the one he’d seen countless times on Sigyn’s knee. Every part of her body, he recognized with such familiarity that it might as well have been his own body he was looking at. “What is…” he murmured before looking at her veiled face. “I know this body,” he said before reaching over and ripping the veil off the girl’s face. He gasped to see his wife grinning up at him. “What are you doing here?” he cried.

Sigyn ended the spell on her voice and laughed heartily. She propped herself up on her elbows. “Well, I am glad my husband is so familiar with my body that he can recognize me without seeing my face!”

Loki rolled his eyes at her. “What are you doing here?” he asked again while transforming himself back into his normal form.

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “I found Vasti’s father and told him you were too ill today for a Maiden Night, and then I took Vasti’s place,” she explained while removing the rest of her clothing.

Loki grinned. “What a clever wife I have!” he cried. “What a marvelous trick you’ve played on me!” He leaned down and kissed her heartily. “A trick that ends with treats, no doubt…”

“The best of treats,” Sigyn replied. She laughed again and gasped as Loki pounced on top of her.

A couple hours passed before Loki was struck with a brilliant idea of his own. “My wife, I have just figured out how to permanently solve the Maiden Night problem, but it shall have to wait until the morning,” he said during a lull.

“You won’t tell me?” Sigyn pouted while running her fingertips through the hair on her husband’s chest. “I so wish to know now…”

“Patience, my dear,” Loki said. “You must be patient…”

Sigyn sighed but didn’t complain any further. She settled in against her husband’s side and closed her eyes. Loki folded his arm around her and settled in to sleep. This had been the best Maiden Night of them all.

The next morning, Loki and Sigyn made love a few more times. He made sure they were in full view of his door for when his servant came into the room to help him dress for the day. The servant arrived at the same time every day, and Loki had to make sure to unlock the door so there would be no trouble with him trying to gain access.

Sigyn was wrapped up in their activities and didn’t notice the servant enter the room. She did, however, notice when Loki transformed back into Odin in the middle of their coupling. She was too startled to say anything, but when she looked over and saw the shocked look on the servant’s face, she cried out in alarm.

The servant quickly ran out of the room and shut the door behind him. Odin finished a minute later and collapsed onto the bed next to Sigyn. “You did that on purpose!” Sigyn yelped, hitting him on the arm.

Odin grinned and nodded. “Now there will be rumors,” he explained. “By the midday meal today, the entire realm will know of our torrid love affair. And that will make my announcement all the more easier because of it.”

“What announcement?”

“That I am taking you as my exclusive lover from now on, and will not be seeking the company of any others.”

Sigyn grinned and laughed. “Oh, my brilliant husband!” she cried. “We really are a good team, are we not?”

“We are the best,” he replied before reaching out and wrapping his hand around her waist. “And now, let us dress and prepare for the day. It shall be an enjoyable day, I think.”

Sigyn and Vali spent the morning working on his lessons, and every once in a while she noticed one of the servants stealing glances in her direction. They would look away quickly when she caught them looking, and she would roll her eyes and return to her work with her son.

That morning, before letting Vali go to his tracking lesson with Volstagg, she warned him about the rumors and Odin’s impending announcement. “You may be teased over this, but it cannot be avoided,” she said while brushing her fingers through his wispy blond hair. “I am sorry, my love…”

Vali nodded his head. “I suppose it makes sense,” he replied. “But it would be nice if this wasn’t necessary. I shall try to hold up to the teasing as well as possible.”

Sigyn kissed the top of his head and hugged him before sending him on his way. Vali was such a patient child to put up with so much of Loki’s trouble. She hoped her husband knew what a good son they had. At that moment, her thoughts drifted to her other son and she was overwhelmed with missing him. She hoped Nari was doing well on Midgard. It was good that he was not here during this time, for the teasing would have upset him greatly.

At the midday meal, Sigyn walked to the dining halls to join her friends. She was subjected to whispers, looks, and snickers as she approached the Allfather’s table. Several men cheered at her and made lewd gestures in a show of their apparent approval. The rumor seemed to have spread as fast as Loki had predicted.

When she sat down at the table, Fandral looked at her curiously, but said nothing. The Lady Sif also looked oddly at her, but didn’t speak. Sigyn prepared a plate of food for herself and began to eat while trying to think of something to say. “How is Vali doing in his training?” she finally asked them. “I hope he is not giving anybody problems.”

“Vali is excelling in nearly everything he attempts,” Sif replied politely. “He is an excellent tracker and marksman. His riding is vastly improved, and his discipline is exemplary.”

“I am glad to hear of this,” Sigyn replied. “He had always struggled with those things, but it is good to know he is improving.”

She was nearly finished with her meal when she saw the Allfather stand up and look around the room. The room gradually grew silent as people anticipated an announcement. Odin cleared his throat before speaking. “I have joyous news to share with you all,” he began. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, my youngest son’s widow, has recently returned to us, and has been living in my chambers. It has been a joy to live as a family once again, and today she has made me a happy man once again, for she has consented to be my exclusive lover. Is that not generous of her? She is truly a wonder among all the women of Asgard and has been such a comfort to an old man during his grieving.”

Sigyn smiled politely and tried to ignore the entire room looking at her. She did her best to remain calm and avoided making eye contact with Fandral, who was frowning at her.

When Odin finished his speech, he sat down and gazed at Sigyn. Many of the soldiers in the room began to applaud and call out well-wishes to them. One soldier cried out to Odin “If you ever get tired of her, I’ll gladly take her off your hands!” The man guffawed at his own joke, but it did not last long when he found himself mysteriously imprisoned that evening for no apparent reason.

Sigyn left the dining hall soon after that, and Lady Sif joined her on her walk to the garden. They strolled, arm-in-arm, and talked about Sigyn’s garden and how it was faring. Sigyn did not want to talk about being Odin’s lover, and Sif seemed to sense that, so they kept the topics of discussion free of him.

“I do so look forward to tasting your preserves,” Sif said as they walked into Sigyn’s garden. She sat down on a stone as Sigyn knelt down in the dirt. “You have made it all sound so wonderful. I love hearing about your adventures on Midgard.”

Sigyn smiled as she began to weed the garden. “I did love my time there,” she replied before launching into tales of Midgardian holidays, clothing, and food. The warm sun shone down upon them as they laughed and talked. Sif seemed to find the idea of movies and television fascinating and could never hear enough about them. “Midgardians have the most creative minds for storytelling,” Sigyn told her.

“I should love to spend time there one day,” Sif admitted. “They are so different from us.”

“And yet, they are not so different from us in some ways,” Sigyn replied. “You should visit there again one day, and spend more time among them.” She reached down and picked a newly-ripened cherry tomato and held it out for Sif to try.

“Perhaps I shall one day,” Sif replied as she reached out to take the tomato. She picked off the stem, as instructed, and popped the tiny fruit into her mouth. Sigyn laughed when her friend’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it is so delightful!” Sif cried a moment later.

“I have never tasted anything so sweet and wonderful before.” “I have many plans for them,” Sigyn replied. “I think you will like spaghetti sauce, and pizza is delightful. I will develop the recipes for our tastes.”

“I know not what those are, but I look forward to trying them,” Sif said with a smile.

The two women sat in the garden and talked until the sun went down behind the trees and grew too cold to stay out of doors. They were just leaving to return to the palace when Vali ran up to them. He was holding a dead rabbit in his hand and looked very excited.

“Mor! Look! My first kill!” he exclaimed. “Volstagg took us out hunting and I finally got one with my bow and arrow. It’s a big one too!”

Sigyn reached out and took the rabbit from her son’s hand and held it up to get a better look at it. “Oh, my son, what a wonder it is! It think you must have killed a giant among all the rabbits!” she cried pridefully. Her heart swelled with joy to see her son’s first kill. He was so much more advanced compared to the other children his age. “We shall feast upon it tonight for supper.”

Vali grinned and reached out for the rabbit. “May I show him to the Allfather first? I wish to show him…”

“Let us go together and after he has seen it, I shall take it to the kitchens, butcher it, and prepare a lovely stew,” Sigyn replied.

Sif looked at the rabbit and smiled at Vali. “Congratulations, your first kill is a memory you will keep with you always,” she said happily.

“I will keep more than just the memory if I can,” Vali replied. “Mor, will you keep the pelt so that I might make it into a hat?”

Sigyn examined the rabbit carefully. “It is large enough to make into a lap blanket. You could sit by the fire at night, reading your books and wrap up in it. And one day, you could swaddle your firstborn son in it,” she suggested.

Vali’s eyes lit up. “I like this idea even better, mor,” he replied.

Sigyn nodded. “I shall save the pelt and send it to the tanners to have it properly prepared. And now, let us go to the throne room. The Allfather will still be there.”

Sif parted ways with them as they approached the dining hall, and Sigyn and Vali continued to the throne room.

Odin looked at them curiously as they walked towards him. Vali stopped at the foot of the throne and bowed respectfully to him before holding out the rabbit. “Allfather, I wish to present to you my first kill from today’s hunt,” he announced in a loud voice for all to hear.

Odin stood up and peered down at the rabbit in Vali’s hands. Loki felt his heart swell with pride over his son’s accomplishment and it took a lot of effort to remain in the Allfather’s character. He reached down and clapped a hand on Vali’s thin shoulder. “Well done, my son’s son, well done indeed. I doubt most of the men in this room had a first kill half as big as this. You show true talent and I am surer than ever about naming you as my heir.”

Vali’s smile grew even larger and he launched into his plans for the rabbit’s pelt before Sigyn could stop him. “My, my, that sounds like a good plan,” Odin said as Sigyn stepped forward and put her arm around her son’s shoulders. “We can discuss it further tonight at supper.”

Vali bowed a final time to Odin before turning and walking out of the hall with his mother. “I shall go practice my spells until you return with supper,” he announced as he handed the rabbit over to Sigyn.

Sigyn worked carefully to preserve the rabbit’s pelt as she butchered it and was proud of her job when she’d finished. When the rabbit had been properly butchered and cleaned, she realized it was far more than she needed for the stew, so she set some aside to experiment with smoking and preserving with salt later on.

As the stew cooked, she added a few of her new vegetables from Midgard, including a couple of fresh tomatoes she diced into small pieces. She also made a fresh loaf of bread to go with the meal. It took a couple of hours, but finally everything was complete and she placed the bowls and plates on a tray to carry them more easily to her living chambers.

When she arrived, Vali and Loki were sitting together at the dining table waiting for her. Loki had dismissed the servants for the night, and was in his normal form. He was discussing magic with Vali while the boy listened intently to him. Sigyn set the tray down and began setting out the dishes before either of them noticed her. “Mor!” Vali cried in greeting. “I’m starving!”

“Yes, we’re staaaarvinggg…” Loki said teasingly. “We weren’t sure we were going to make it.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Sigyn said with a mocking frown. “Hopefully supper shall revive you both…” She set bowls of stew and plates of bread and butter before them and watched curiously as they began to eat.

Loki was cautious about trying the tomatoes, but found he quite liked them. “They add a whole different flavor to the entire dish,” he commented as Sigyn poured him a draught of ale.

She sat down across from him and nodded. “They are wonderful,” she replied. “What say you, Vali? Does the stew pass your approval?”

Vali’s mouth was so full he couldn’t answer, but nodded instead.

Sigyn laughed and shook her head. “Be sure to swallow, I don’t want you to choke like you used to when you were little.”

Vali swallowed his mouthful and rolled his eyes. “Oh mor, I’m nearly a man grown now,” he replied.

“I suppose, but no matter how old you become, you’ll always be my child,” Sigyn replied. She looked at her husband and son and sighed wistfully. “I wish Nari was here tonight to join our celebration. He would be so proud of you.”

Vali nodded in agreement. “I have already told him all about it and he is terribly happy. He said he would tell Bruce and Brynja for me,” he said.

Loki set his spoon down and looked at his son, a shocked look affixed to his face. “What do you mean? Have you two been practicing with talking to one another as Sigyn and I do? Why did you not tell us?”

Vali grinned and nodded. “We began practicing after Nari decided to return to Midgard, so we could always be connected. We figured it out just before he left. We didn’t say anything because we wanted it to just be us for a while…”

Loki frowned again. “The children can communicate with one another, but we cannot communicate with them.”

“Perhaps if we practice like they did, it would work,” Sigyn suggested. She liked the idea of being able to talk with Nari from afar, it would make her feel close to him again. Knowing she could keep in touch with both of her sons automatically made her very happy.

“We’ll start on it tonight,” Loki said decisively. “We’ll begin with you, Vali, since you’re closer. Perhaps that is the easiest way to start.”

“Yes far,” Vali replied.

When supper was finished and Sigyn had cleared the table, Loki and Vali moved to the bench in front of the fireplace and began to practice speaking into one another’s minds. Their efforts proved fruitless that evening, however, and Vali went to bed that night feeling discouraged.

“Do not worry, my love, we will get it in time,” Sigyn reassured him before kissing her son’s forehead.

Loki shook his head as Sigyn sat down next to him by the fire. “Imagine the children keeping such a secret from us,” he complained. “What else have they not told us?”

Sigyn sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “The boys are growing older and I am sure this is only the beginning of what they are going to withhold from us,” she said in a quiet voice. “I did not tell Kjell everything when I was growing older. I never told him about visiting you every night when we were courting. Did you tell your parents everything when you were younger?”

“Absolutely not…” Loki replied. He thought back to how little his parents had known about his life when he was younger. If his sons kept secrets like those from him and Sigyn, there was no telling what sorts of havoc they could create. He reached out and took his wife’s hand in his. “We may find ourselves in trouble one day when the boys are older…”

“We’ll get through it, I’m sure,” Sigyn replied hopefully before giving her husband’s hand a loving squeeze.

They sat in silence for a while, holding hands and watching the fire die down. Loki’s thoughts drifted to the future and he wondered what would happen when Vali was named the heir. Ranulf’s words came back to him and he thought about Nari and Vali’s marriage prospects. “My Sjalsfrande, I have just thought of something terribly important,” he said after a minute’s thought. “You must perform your duty as the boys’ mother now that you are a widow, and arrange marriages for them. Odin cannot do this, it is not his place to do so. Vali, as the future king, must marry well, and he has no cousins to promise him to. You will have to find a well-bred maiden from one of the more favored families of Asgard.”

Sigyn frowned. “Do you not think that Vali should choose for himself when he is old enough? Just as we were allowed to?”

“We were not allowed to, we _had_ to,” Loki reminded her. “And Vali is to be king; he must have a wife from as high ranking a family as we can possibly arrange. Love matters not.”

“Love matters not! I cannot believe you are saying this,” Sigyn chided him. She sat up, turned to look at him and folded her arms. “After what we went through, I cannot believe that you would do that to our own children!”

“Well, perhaps you can find several maidens that are suitable and then allow Vali to choose for himself which he loves the most,” Loki suggested.

Sigyn took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “I suppose it is worth a try,” she replied. “But he is too young now to know about romantic love and cannot make such a decision like that until he is older.”

“But he could become acquainted with them now. Perhaps he could fall in love with one of them over time.”

Sigyn thought for a moment before nodding her head. “I suppose that is a good solution,” she replied. “I will begin making inquiries about it tomorrow.”

Loki smiled and reached out to embrace her. “Good, I’m glad,” he said. “I suppose we will have to trust Brynja to arrange a marriage for Nari…Though I dislike the idea of him marrying a Midgardian, I would hope she would at least find him a girl of some worth.”

“Actually, most Midgardians don’t have arranged marriages,” Sigyn said. “In the country he’s in, it is not allowed. Nari will have to find a wife on his own.”

“How bizarre,” Loki commented. “Who pays the brideprice? And what of her dowry?”

“There is no brideprice or dowry,” Sigyn said. “If a man wishes to marry, he proposes marriage directly to the woman, and she either accepts or declines his offer.”

Loki shook his head in wonder. “What a strange world Midgard is. It is too bad my plans to rule over them were unsuccessful. I would have fixed that for them.”

“I believe they like it to be that way.”

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes. “That is because they do not know any better.” He stood up and held his hand out to her. “Come, let us retire to Odin’s chambers where we can continue our lively debate in a more enjoyable fashion…”

Sigyn grinned and took her husband’s hand. “I wonder if we can keep it up all night long,” she replied.

“Oh, wife, you _know_ I can keep it up all night long,” Loki joked.

“My husband, you are terrible!” Sigyn said before laughing at his double meaning.

Loki grinned and tugged on Sigyn’s arm, hurrying her along. “Just think, my love, no more Maiden Nights! Unless of course, you wish to play at being a maiden again. I would not mind deflowering you again…”

“Perhaps I could, and perhaps you could play at being a lad who has not yet lain with a woman. Would you enjoy that?”

Loki raised an eyebrow at her after shutting the chamber door. “I suppose we could both play at that if we wished,” he replied. “Neither of us remembers our actual first time together…”

“So, who knows, perhaps you were just awful,” Sigyn said with a grin.

“Maybe you cried because you were so scared,” Loki retorted.

“Maybe _you_ cried,” Sigyn said, reaching out and poking her husband’s shoulder with her finger.

Loki reached up and grabbed her hand again. He threw her onto the bed and wrapped a hand around one of her ankles. “Maybe I’ll make you cry tonight, would you like that?” He tickled the bottom of her foot, causing her to squeal and try to pull away from him. After a moment, he let go and crawled onto the bed next to her, then looked into her eyes for a moment before pressing his lips to hers.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Sigyn whispered into her husband’s mind.

“You might regret saying that,” Loki growled in her ear. “Why don’t you slip into one of those flimsy Midgardian outfits you came back with? The red one that looks so good against your skin. Put it on so that I can rip it off you…”

Sigyn grinned and jumped up from the bed. She disappeared through the side door leading to her chambers and returned a minute later with the red outfit her husband had requested in her hand. Loki leaned his head on one hand as he lay on the bed watching her undress.

The red article barely covered anything, but the deep crimson tone complimented her creamy skin and accentuated her curves in all the right ways. He grinned at her when she paraded in front of him. “Oh my wife, it was the luckiest day when our souls entwined. To have ended up with the most beautiful and enticing woman in all of Asgard is a true blessing. Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

Sigyn glanced down at her husband’s body and grinned. “I think I do…” she replied. She nestled against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Loki kissed her and took his time making love to her that night. They fell asleep in one another’s arms. The next morning, Sigyn woke up and looked over to see Odin holding her. She wrinkled her nose and sat up in the bed. “I forgot that I am the Allfather’s lover now,” she said in greeting.

Odin laughed as he got out of the bed to dress for the day. “Yes, aren’t you lucky,” he replied. “I am quite the catch.”

Sigyn rolled her eyes and got out of the bed. “Yes, well, I suppose I ought to be grateful that we’ve figured out a way to be together without anybody realizing it. I suppose that’s a pretty big accomplishment.”

“Indeed it is,” Loki replied with a smile. “Our family is secured once again, and we don’t have to put up with those dreadful Maiden Nights any further.”

“I’m very glad of that,” Sigyn replied.

As they left Odin’s chambers, and joined Vali at the breakfast table, both were glad for the sense of normalcy again. A happy family life is just what they needed. Loki sat down and waited for Sigyn to prepare plates of food for them, and gazed at her beauty. His gazing was interrupted when she handed him his plate. Sigyn sat down next to Vali and fussed with his hair until he whined at her to stop. Loki smiled and chuckled to himself. Normal family life was truly what he had missed the most since he’d fallen from the Bifrost so many years before.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn helps find possible future wives for Vali. Vali spends time getting to know them and making new friends.

Sigyn had been living as Odin’s official lover for the past six months, and nobody had challenged either of them. Loki felt the time was getting closer to naming Vali as the heir apparent. Vali was ready to assume the mantle of leadership and begin his training to learn how to rule a realm. His schooling under Sigyn’s tutelage had been quite successful over the years. He was smart and insightful and had a knack for taking time before making decisions. Loki felt that Vali had learned all he needed from Sigyn, and now was the time to begin his magical and kingship training in earnest. At length, Loki debated about training him personally in the evenings, or bringing in somebody to train him, but in the end, he decided he wanted to train Vali himself.

Without much ceremony, Vali ended his schooling with Sigyn and began attending weaponry and horsemanship training exclusively. Sigyn despaired at losing time and closeness with the child remaining in Asgard, and knew not what to do with her spare time. Her heart felt like it was breaking and she began to stay in her sleeping chambers all day, lying on her bed and crying for the loss of both her sons. Neither of them needed her anymore, and she had no other children to dote upon. What was her purpose now?

Loki didn’t know how to help his wife, but disliked that she no longer granted him conjugal rights, claiming to “not be in the mood” for lovemaking. After two weeks, she finally let him into her chambers to talk. He was dismayed at her state of appearance. She was in her nightclothes even though it was late afternoon, and her hair was knotted and looked like it hadn’t been brushed in at least a week. “My wife, we must speak about this,” he said, his brow furrowed with worry. He reached out and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Vali is still here, and still young, and he needs you in his life. You are not without a function,” he reassured her quietly.

Sigyn threw herself into Loki’s arms and continued to cry. “But he does not need my help with schooling and what will I do with my days now?”

“Tend your garden, work on your recipes in the kitchens, spend time with the other women, or anything you wish to do,” Loki replied. “There are many things you could do. Perhaps you could follow in Frigga’s footsteps and become a midwife. Or maybe you’d like to study to become a healer. Does anything like that appeal to you?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll have to think about it,” she replied. “I feel as though there are too many choices right now, and it is overwhelming my senses.”

Loki kissed her cheeks. “You will still be needed to help Vali as he trains to become king,” he reminded her. “As his only parent, it is your job to watch over him.”

Sigyn took a deep breath and allowed Loki to hold her. He rubbed her back and didn’t speak. She tried to calm down and think rationally. She was still very young, and had a lot of life left. Her children would not need her forever, and she would have to learn to have a life outside of them. Perhaps having children so young was not ideal, because it was really all she knew. But now she had to be strong and strike out on her own, and become something else besides a wife and mother. It was frightening and exciting to think about.

“Would you like me to send Iona in here for you?” Loki asked after a minute.

Sigyn shook her head. “I shall join you and Vali for supper and then you may join me tonight,” she replied.

Loki frowned. “Vali wished to join his friends in the dining hall and I said he could go,” he said.

Sigyn sighed. “Very well, perhaps we can dine alone here tonight,” she replied.

Loki smiled and nodded his head. “A supper with just you is exactly what I wished for tonight,” he said. “We can discuss the important work you’ll have to do as the official prince’s mother. You will play a vital role in his journey to becoming king. You have just completed your role as his tutor, that is all that has changed.”

That night, Loki doted upon Sigyn, helping her bathe and untangling her long blonde hair. Once she was dried off and wrapped up in a robe, he led her over to the dinner table and served her dinner himself. He normally would insist that she serve him dinner, but she had earned a night off.

When she was finished eating, he doted upon her for the rest of the night. He loved taking care of his wife, even though he didn’t always let on that he did. Sigyn was a part of himself. To feel her pain and anguish as if it was his own and knowing she was hurting was almost more painful than he could bear. These were moments when he hated his Jotun blood more than ever, because if he could give her more children, it would make her so much happier. Having a baby in her life again would revive her and give her a sense of purpose again. But it was not to be, alas. He would help her continue to find ways to feel important. He thought about how influential Frigga had been in training Thor to become king. He had been heedless and impulsive, but she had still managed to impart as much wisdom and patience as she could, and he seemed to have grown into it somewhat of late. Hopefully Sigyn would have greater success with Vali. Vali was already a far better person to be ruler than Thor ever was. Loki had great confidence that Sigyn would continue to shape him into an ideal ruler. Sigyn would teach him to be fair and just. She would control who he associated with and would ultimately choose who he married. The future of the realm, largely, rested on her shoulders.

He quietly explained this to her that evening, as he rubbed her shoulders and back while she lay on her bed. “You are a former king’s widow, the prince’s mother, and the current king’s lover. All of these positions raise your status above most others in Asgard. Many will be driven mad with jealousy over you, my wife.”

Sigyn sat up in the bed across from him and furrowed her brow. “You do not think anybody would try to harm me over it, do you?”

“They’ll have to answer to the Allfather himself if they do,” Loki replied in a reassuring tone. He reached over and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it lovingly. “I can’t imagine somebody would want to cause you harm. What would be the purpose?”

Sigyn shrugged. “I know not, but sometimes people do strange things for strange reasons.”

“Think not about it, and let us continue to enjoy our lovely evening together,” Loki suggested. Instead of their usual lovemaking, which he knew would occur later that night, he took her by the hand and led her outside to the private terrace that overlooked the Bifrost. He set up benches for them to lay on, and covered them in furs. He slipped into the furs and held his arms out for Sigyn to join him. She curled up against his body and wrapped the rest of the furs over them. It was a cold night in early autumn, and the sky was dark and clear.

Loki pointed out different constellations and told her stories about them that he’d heard or read over the years, and Sigyn shared the mythology Bruce had taught her while on Midgard. Loki was amused at how complex some of the stories were. “You would never know to look at a Midgardian that they are quite clever once in a while. The gods they speak of are clearly based on us…”

“Bruce said that most different cultures there had gods based on their own region,” Sigyn replied. “I do not know if when our ancestors visited Midgard, if they went to the whole of the planet. I heard that they stayed to the frozen cold lands of the north. Perhaps visitors from other realms visited other parts of Midgard…”

Loki kissed her cheek as she leaned against his chest. “Perhaps you are right, my wife. I forgot how clever you have gotten over the years,” he replied.

Sigyn reached down and grasped his thigh. “Don’t worry, my husband, I shall make sure that you never forget it again…”

Before their playful banter could continue any further, Vali walked out onto the terrace and came to stand next to them. “There you two are, I was looking all over for you,” he said in greeting.

Sigyn slipped one of her hands out of the furs and took his hand. “Did you have a good supper with your friends?” she asked.

Vali nodded. “Yes, and I shall join them tomorrow as well, if you do not mind,” he replied.

“I do not mind,” Sigyn replied before tugging on his hand. “Would you like to join us? Your far and I are telling stories about the stars.”

Vali prided himself on being more grown up than his years, and Loki expected him to say no, but he also never turned down a chance to stay close to his mother, and tonight was no exception. He eagerly climbed into the furs and settled in against Sigyn as she wrapped her arms around him. After a minute, he began to tell them stories of his own about the stars.

Loki listened to his son regale them with tales of bloody murders and betrayals and wondered where Vali got the inspiration for such stories. Loki found them rather amusing, however, and listened silently as his youngest child told story after story. Sigyn loved this moment with her family, and wished Nari was there to share it with them. He would have loved Vali’s gory and violent stories and would definitely have a few of his own to add.

After a time, the stories stopped and they lay in silence in the cold, dark night. Sigyn could feel her son breathing rhythmically and could hear his faint snores and knew he had fallen asleep in her arms. Loki glanced over her shoulder and smiled. He kissed her cheek and reached his hand out to rest on Vali’s shoulder. “Let us sleep here tonight,” he suggested. “I shall wake as the Allfather, so you needn’t worry,” he said quietly. “I do not wish to move the boy now that he is sleeping.”

Sigyn settled into her husband’s arms and smiled as he tucked the furs in around them to better keep them warm through the night. “There will be no lovemaking tonight, I am afraid,” she spoke into his mind as she closed her eyes.

“This is just as pleasant,” Loki replied as he too closed his eyes and settled in to sleep. As he drifted off he imagined Nari with them and smiled. He hoped his son was doing well on Midgard.

(SCENE)

Sigyn slowly came out of her sadness at losing her position as her son’s tutor when her garden was ready for its first harvest. She’d meticulously cared for it and it had yielded an enormous wealth of food. It needed to be harvested before the food spoiled on the vine.

She worked from sun up to sun down for nearly a week before everything had been harvested. Each night, she fell into bed, too exhausted to make love to her husband. Two of the nights, she sent Loki off in search of one of his servants to satisfy his needs. The morning after his first night with the servant, Loki crawled into her bed and nuzzled her earlobe until she woke up.

“How was it?” she asked while stretching her arms and yawning.

Loki sat up next to her and shrugged. “He was all right, but I was more in the mood for you,” he replied.

Sigyn leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I am sorry, my husband. I shall need at least another week before the harvest is complete. Once it is done, I shall have time for lovemaking again.”

Loki frowned and folded his arms. “Why not have the servants harvest the garden and that will leave you open to spending more time with me?”

Sigyn curled up against him and ran her fingertips up and down his chest. “I must do this myself, because this is my task. It is my accomplishment. And it is still a small enough garden that I can do it alone. Perhaps next year if I have a larger garden, the servants can help me.”

Loki pouted for a couple minutes, but didn’t forbid her from doing what she so clearly loved. “You must promise me that you will return to our nightly pleasures as soon as the harvest is over. I will content myself with my servants until then.”

“I promise I will return to our pleasures,” Sigyn reassured him. “I too miss them…I am too tired to even lie with Iona, so you mustn’t take it personally.” To emphasize that, she kissed him heartily. She knew that as brash and haughty as he could be, underneath it all, was a scared and unconfident man who was terrified that he wasn’t and never would be, good enough for her.

Loki leaned in against her and sighed. “I will count down the days until you are back in my bed again.”

When the servants arrived for the day, he returned to Odin’s shape and left her chamber to join Vali at the breakfast table. “Are you prepared to join me in the throne room today?” he asked his son. “From now on, you shall join me every morning in the throne room in order to become familiar with what it means to be king.”

Vali took a deep breath and nodded his head. “Do you really think I will be a good king? Perhaps Nari should return and do it instead.”

Loki shook his head. “You are young and this is a frightening prospect. I understand your apprehension and hesitation. This is natural and you will grow more confident in time. I will be there at all times to help and train you, and so will your mother. You will not take over as king until I decide you are ready.”

Vali smiled weakly and pushed his half-eaten breakfast around on his plate. “I am too nervous to eat,” he said quietly.

Loki reached out and petted his son’s wispy blond curls. “I know, and in time your appetite will return. I promise you that,” he whispered. Vali took two more bites of his sausages and toast before pushing the plate away. He sat and watched as Sigyn joined Loki at the table and prepared a plate for herself. “I hope you do well today in the throne room,” she said a minute later. “I will think of you the whole day.”

“Thank you, mor,” Vali replied.

Loki cleared his throat and glanced at his wife and son before speaking. “Vali, you are growing older, and as you are officially in training to become king, I think the time has come to start using the adult terms for us. ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ are the proper words to use from now on.”

Sigyn gasped and looked down at her plate of food. Her son was growing up so quickly! It seemed like only yesterday when he was suckling at her breast and now here he was, trying to become king of Asgard and all the Nine Realms.

Vali took another deep breath before nodding his head. “Yes…father…” he replied.

When the meal was over, Vali and Loki stood to leave the room. Vali threw his arms around Sigyn’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, mother, I shall see you tonight,” he said before straightening up and following behind his father as they walked out of the room.

Sigyn shed several tears that day as she picked vegetables in her garden. Vali really was growing up. There was no use denying it anymore. She would have to start treating him less like a child and more like a man grown. She would have to start expecting more from him and show her displeasure when he failed to act or do as he should. And she would have to perform her duty as his mother to form a marriage contract for him. All of those were reasons that she was glad for her harvest. It put off things she did not want to think about and gave her something to keep her from having to perform her duties for a while longer.

At long last, however, the harvest was completed and she moved her attention to the kitchens where she threw herself into cooking and preserving the food. Her first attempt at making pizza sauce with the tomatoes turned out pretty well, and Vali highly approved of her first “Asgardian pizza”. Loki was skeptical about it, and didn’t approve of some of the spices, but found his palate adjusted to it quickly. “So, spiced tomato sauce on bread, sprinkled with cheese that is then melted…This is pizza?” he asked when she put his plate in front of him one night at the supper table. “What are the pieces of…things on top of it?”

“Those are mushrooms and thin slices of sausages,” Sigyn explained. She looked hopefully at her husband as he wrinkled his nose and gingerly took a bite.

Loki chewed for a minute and contemplated the flavors. It was delicious, and he was proud of his wife for her ingenuity and cleverness, but at the same time, how could he admit to enjoying Midgardian food? Finally, he set his pizza back on his plate and smiled. “It is wonderful, and far superior to whatever Midgardian concoction this was based on,” he said, trying to bypass the unpleasant and focus on the positive.

Sigyn grinned and clapped her hands. “Oh, I’m so happy you like it!” she exclaimed. “I was worried that you would detest it.”

Loki patted her hand reassuringly. “I would never detest something made by you, my Sjalsfrande,” he replied.

Sigyn smiled demurely and flushed. “You always make me feel so loved,” she said quietly.

Both parents were too busy flirting with each other to notice Vali eating the rest of the pizza that Sigyn had prepared. He stole the piece off his mother’s plate and ate it without being noticed, and it wasn’t until Loki saw a hand moving out of the corner of his eye, that he looked down and saw that his plate was empty as well. “Vali, what are you doing?” he cried. “A king does not steal food off other people’s plates. Especially not his own parents’.”

Vali’s cheeks were stuffed full of food and he looked so comical that Sigyn began to laugh. “He has a hearty appetite tonight,” she said. “Perhaps he is growing and his appetite is growing as well.”

Vali swallowed and looked sadly at his father. “I was starving,” he moaned. “I’m still starving!”

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. “Very well, let us go to the dining hall to eat, since you have eaten all our suppers. You can eat your fill there,” he said before standing up. He transformed into Odin before they left and held his arm out for Sigyn to take as they walked through the hallway.

“Good evening, Allfather,” one woman said politely. Odin nodded at her.

“You look lovely tonight, my lady,” an older man said with a bow to Sigyn. “The Allfather is lucky to have such a woman as you.” She smiled politely as they passed him by.

Loki watched as Vali walked in front of them to the dining hall. He could have to work on the boy’s discipline and impulse control. He couldn’t believe his son’s behavior at the supper table that night. Eating like a barnyard animal without any trace of good manners whatsoever. It was disgraceful.

Vali ran over to join his friends once they arrived at the dining hall, and Loki kept an eye on him while Sigyn prepared his plate of food. Vali was quite popular with his friends. They clamored to sit next to him and laughed at his jokes. He was already more well-loved than Loki had ever been. That was a good asset for a future king. Loki just needed to make sure his son’s table manners improved significantly.

Sigyn served her husband a plate of food and glanced at the end of the table to see Vali eating a second plate of food. She sighed and shook her head. “I think Vali must be headed for a growth spurt,” she commented to Loki. “He and Nari did this when we were in Midgard and they ended up several inches taller by the time they were finished.”

“He can eat all he needs, but he must learn to do it with more dignity,” Loki replied before turning his attention to his own meal. “Will you make that pizza bread again sometime? I wish to have more than one bite…”

Sigyn beamed and nodded her head. “Whenever you want it,” she promised.

(SCENE)

Sigyn’s prediction proved to be correct, and seemingly overnight, Vali had grown three inches taller and none of his clothes fit him any longer. “Oh dear, I shall have to get you fitted for new outfits right away,” she said one morning when she saw Vali come out of his sleeping chambers with trousers that now ended at his calves. “You are getting so big!”

Loki looked up from the book he was reading and frowned. “You should not have to make his clothes, you should call for a tailor. In fact, he needs to be dressed as a proper prince. I shall summon my tailor to pay a visit here today. I do not want Vali seen publicly until he has new clothes, do you understand?” He looked Vali in the eyes to make sure he was paying attention.

Vali sighed and nodded his head. “Yes far—father,” he replied. “I shall stay here and practice my magic with mother until my clothes are made.”

Loki nodded as well. “It should only take a couple days and then you may return to your training.”

Vali stayed home that day and practiced magic until the tailor arrived to take his measurements. The tailor and Sigyn discussed colors and styles, and chose rich dark greens and blacks for him. Sigyn thought they went well with Vali’s skin tone and hair and knew Loki would approve since they were the same colors that he had worn when he could live openly as himself. When she saw the designs the tailor sketched, she had flashes of the boy her husband had once been and it made her smile. Vali’s new clothes were smaller versions of those worn by men grown. Gone were the days of tunics and child’s clothing. He would have a scabbard to wear daily and was expected to never been seen publicly without his sax.

Vali liked the designs and colors chosen and when he tried them on once they’d been made, he felt very proud of himself. He felt comfortable in leathers, furs, and silks, and knew that none of his friends had clothing as fine as his. He saw for the first time, the prince he was to become, and one day, the king.

When the clothing had been adjusted for size and completed, Vali proudly paraded around for Sigyn and Loki one evening. “Father, I look like you did when you were younger,” he commented, though he had never seen what his father had looked like as a child.

“You look very much as I did,” Loki confirmed with a nod of his head. “With the exception of the hair color, or course.”

“Oh Vali, you look so handsome,” Sigyn said with a grin. “Loki, do you realize that the boys are now the age we were when we met in the forges?”

Loki smiled. “Are they really?” he asked. “Were we really ever that young? It feels like a lifetime has passed since that moment.”

“A lifetime _has_ passed,” Sigyn replied. “Our sons are at an age when their lives will truly begin and they will show everybody who they really are.”

Vali turned and looked in the mirror on the wall. He was ready to learn who he truly was.

(SCENE)

Sigyn had finished her experiments on food preservation and had become popular among the women in the kitchens with her innovation. They had served her more successful creations in the dining hall, and while some people had been reluctant to try the new dishes, many had bravely tasted them and become quite fond of them. Volstagg in particular, loved everything she made and ate far more than his share every time one of her new creations was introduced. “You are a rare talent, my dear,” he said one night after a fifth helping of spaghetti sauce on roasted potatoes. She had been at a loss on how to create pasta, and decided potatoes would be a good substitute.

This growing popularity made it easier for Sigyn to begin finding potential future wives for Vali. She started having mothers from the highest ranking families join her for the midday meal at her home to decide who the best candidates were. Some of the women she got on well with, and others she didn’t care for. The women she liked best were invited to join her again, this time with their eligible daughters as well. Sigyn needed to see if she approved of them as companions for her son.

There were five women, and between them seven daughters of eligible age. Most of the girls were well-behaved and acted demurely as young ladies of their station were supposed to. Sigyn tried to find major flaws in them, and the worst offense she saw was that two of the sisters were quite giggly and silly, but they were nervous and still quite young.

Of the seven girls, Sigyn narrowed it down to four to actually present to Vali. She thought they had varying personalities that would blend well with his, and he might enjoy making friends with them.

Over the course of a week, Sigyn had each one of the girls over to supper with them so Vali could meet them and get a chance to interact with them. Loki had to remain in Odin’s form, but he was willing to make that sacrifice for his son’s future. The future of the kingdom and the entire realm was at stake, ultimately.

The first girl, Bera, was a pretty girl with large green eyes and long blonde hair pleated down her back. Her father was one of Odin’s highest ranking military leaders. He had nine children, and she was his only daughter. Though she was only a year older than Vali, she had a bossy tone that grated on his nerves. She was used to telling her younger brothers what to do, and appeared to be in the habit of doing it to others as well.

“Vali, you will choke if you eat too fast,” Bera said before reaching over with her napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth that had a tiny speck of food on it. Vali glared at Sigyn, but said nothing. Loki tried his best not to laugh.

When the meal ended, Vali and Bera settled over by the fireplace to talk by themselves. Sigyn and Loki remained at the supper table to give them privacy. They weren’t sure how well Vali was taking to her. He kept glancing at them with a pained expression on his face. “She’s a bit bossy,” Loki spoke into his wife’s mind. “I cannot see how a king would be respected if he tolerated a bossy wife.”

“Well, perhaps she’ll grow out of it when she gets older,” Sigyn replied.

“More likely she’ll get worse…”

At the end of the evening, Bera’s nurse came to collect her. Bera smiled at Vali and bowed to him. “It was good to meet you,” she said before departing.

Vali nodded and thanked her for the visit. When the door shut behind her, he sighed and flopped down on the bench next to Sigyn. “She was so bossy,” he complained as Loki returned to his true form.

Sigyn ruffled her son’s hair and smiled sympathetically at him. “I am sorry, my love,” she replied. “There are three girls left. Hopefully one of them will be a nice friend.”

Vali rolled his eyes. “Girls are silly,” he commented. “All she wanted to talk about was her dress or her hair…”

“Don’t worry, Vali,” Loki added. “Girls get more interesting when they get older. You won’t always think they’re silly. And besides, your mother never once talked about clothes or hair when we were younger. Some girls definitely have more in their heads than trivial matters.”

The next night, Eira joined them for supper. Eira was very shy and hardly spoke above a whisper during the meal, when she spoke at all. Vali liked that she wasn’t bossy. She was a year younger than he was, and had pretty ginger hair that she wore tied in plaits that were affixed to the top of her head. She sat primly and hardly touched her food. Sigyn didn’t know what the problem was, but noted that the girl became more animated once she and Vali were talking by the fire together. “I think she must be scared of the Allfather,” she commented to her husband. “See how she is charming and lively now?”

“Perhaps she was scared of you,” Loki suggested. When she looked at him as though he was insane, he rolled his eyes. “Very well, it was probably the Allfather,” he conceded.

Vali and Eira laughed and chatted quietly until her mother came to escort her back home. Eira gave him a peck on the cheek before taking her leave. Vali blushed and hurried to his sleeping chamber as soon as she had left, before either of his parents could talk to him.

Loki and Sigyn grinned at one another. “I think she passed muster,” Loki said as Sigyn moved over to the fireplace to work on her knitting.

“I would agree,” Sigyn replied. “Do you think we should check on him?”

“He’s fine,” Loki said. “If he’s anything like me, he’s just trying to sort out his feelings for this girl.”

“Like you? Is that what happened when we met?” Sigyn asked.

Loki was silent for a moment before nodding his head. “I was convinced that I did not have feelings for you, and I managed to keep them at bay for some time,” he confessed. “But when I saw you in the dining hall for the first time, I knew it was folly…”

Sigyn smiled and looked down at the knitting in her hands. “It is strange how sometimes, the things you feel as a child change entirely, and other things never change, and intensify,” she replied quietly. “Of course, we were Sjalsfrandes even then, we just didn’t know it yet.”

Loki joined her by the fireplace and read one of his spell books, and they enjoyed being together in the silence, listening to the fire crackle. Before bed, he quietly walked into Vali’s room and saw his son asleep on top of his bed, with a smile on his face. Loki carefully tucked him into bed and covered him with the rabbit skin that had finally come back from the tanner. He leaned down and kissed Vali’s forehead before leaving the room to join his wife.

Gunndis was the third girl Vali met. She was Vali’s age, and the granddaughter of one of Odin’s advisors. She was a girl with a lot of energy and fire, with lovely dark brown skin, and he was quite enamored with her. Her laughter was contagious and the two of them ended up laughing through the entire meal.

“Mother, may I take Gunndis to my sleeping chamber so that I might show her my rabbit pelt?” Vali asked after supper ended.

Sigyn frowned and shook her head. “No, but you may bring it here to show her, if you wish,” she replied.

Vali frowned as well, but agreed to it. He ran out of the room and returned a minute later with the rabbit pelt in his hands. He showed it off to Gunndis. “Oooh, it’s so soft!” she cried. “Tell me how you hunted it.”

Vali launched into his tale about hunting with Volstagg and his sons, and Gunndis listened intently to the whole story. “I wish I could hunt too,” she exclaimed when he’d finished. “It sounds tremendously exciting.”

“It is, and it’s terribly dangerous too,” Vali replied seriously.

“You’re so brave,” Gunndis said, looking at him with soft brown eyes that left him feeling nervous.

The rest of the night was spent telling stories back and forth and Vali was so wound up after Gunndis left, that he was unable to go to sleep at his usual bedtime. He was doing karate chops aimed at the benches when Sigyn put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Perhaps we are doing this too late at night,” she commented to her husband. “Maybe the rest of these meetings should be held during the midday meal…”

“You may be right,” Loki said with a frown of his own. He stepped forward to put a stop to Vali’s antics. “All right, son, that is enough abuse on the furniture for one night.”

Vali cackled with delight and aimed one final kick at the bench before stopping. “But father, I’m not at all tired,” he complained. “I feel as though I could fly all the way to Midgard and back again!”

“Well, for our sake, please try to go to sleep,” Loki requested. He was trying not to show how amused he was by his son’s reaction to the girl he’d met that night.

Vali rolled his eyes and sighed. “I shall try,” he promised. He hugged his parents before retiring to his sleeping chamber for the night.

“I think tonight was a success,” Loki commented as he and Sigyn walked to his chambers.

“I would say so,” Sigyn agreed. “We’ll see how he fares with the last girl tomorrow…”

The final girl, Rona, was a quiet, studious girl, much like Vali himself. She was his age, and had mousy brown hair, and matching eyes. They discussed books and schooling during the meal, and spent a quiet evening by the fireplace talking about their favorite subjects. Rona had a love of mathematics and intended to study to become an engineer when she grew up. Vali was impressed with her ambition. “You will become a wonder among all the women of Asgard,” he predicted.

Rona blushed and looked at her hands. “Thank you,” she replied politely.

At the end of the night, Vali bowed to her and she took her leave when her father arrived to pick her up. He was a high ranking official and took the opportunity to thank Odin for allowing Rona to meet Vali.

Odin bowed and turned to Sigyn. “It was all the boy’s mother’s doing, actually,” he explained. “It is, after all, her duty to perform.”

The man turned and bowed to Sigyn. “Forgive me for forgetting,” he said apologetically. “It is unfortunate that this duty now falls to you. I am very sorry for your loss.”

Sigyn nodded. “I thank you, Dagur, for your kind words,” she replied. “Your daughter was a pleasure to play hostess to tonight.”

When Rona and her father had gone, Sigyn and Loki sat down with Vali to discuss which girls he had liked the most and if he wished to see any of them again. “We will not push you to choose any of them to be your wife, but perhaps you can become friends with them and see if anything deeper blossoms over time,” Sigyn explained.

Vali sat in thought for a moment. “I liked all but Bera, she was too bossy,” he finally replied. “I liked the other three girls for all different reasons. I would like to have them as my friends.”

“Very well,” Sigyn said. “I shall continue to arrange times for you to play with the other girls. I am glad that you liked most of them.”

“I suspect he liked some of them very much,” Loki said slyly, reaching over to poke Vali playfully on the shoulder.

Vali squirmed out of his reach. “Fa-ther!” he whined.

“Very well, I won’t tease you,” Loki replied. He remembered all too clearly how it felt to have somebody belittle his feelings.

Vali sat back down. “Thank you,” he said as he smoothed out wrinkles in his clothes that only he could see.

Sigyn did her best not to smile too much, lest she humiliate her son, but she couldn’t help but be touched at how adorable he was and how seriously he was taking everything. “All right, my love, why don’t you go to bed now?” she suggested. “It’s been a long week.” Vali hugged his parents before retiring to his chambers.

Loki kissed Sigyn that night before bed. “You are doing your duty as the prince’s mother quite excellently,” he commented as he slipped into bed. “It is not an easy task, and I do not envy you for it.”

Sigyn smiled and curled up against her husband to stay warm. “I just want him to be happy,” she replied. “It is an honor to help him as he grows.”

Loki kissed her again. “I do not think I could have found a better woman to be the mother of my children,” he murmured as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I am lucky to have you in my life.”

“Yes you are,” Sigyn confirmed in a serious tone.

Loki tickled his wife’s side and cackled when she began to squeal. It only lasted a few seconds before she had moved around and pinned him to the bed. She straddled his hips and held his wrists above his head, immobilizing him. “You know I detest being tickled,” she growled menacingly, though there was a smile on her face. “You are being very naughty.”

Loki grinned. “Are you going to punish me?” he asked. “What are you going to do to me?” Sigyn leaned forward and began to whisper in his ear. He closed his eyes and sighed. “All night long?” he asked. Sigyn whispered in his ear for a while longer. When she finished and sat back up, he opened his eyes and looked up at her. He grinned. “Well then, I’m ready for my punishment…”

Sigyn grinned and cackled wickedly before she began her ministrations. Loki endured as best he could through her “tortures”, and at one point in the evening, he found himself wondering if he would survive through the night. It couldn’t be possible to experience so much intensified pleasure for such a prolonged amount of time and live through it, right?

Sigyn found herself wondering the same thing. It seemed as though the pleasure she received from lying with her husband had increased and now it was nearly unbearable. When she could finally take no more, she collapsed into their bed, breathless, covered in sweat, and unable to stand Loki even touching her for a while. “It is too much!” she panted as he lay next to her, trying to come back to his senses.

“I think…I think…I shall die,” Loki gasped. When they had both come down from their ecstasy, he took her hand in his and held it gently. Sigyn sighed, but didn’t protest, and the two drifted into a deep sleep and shared one another’s dreams.

The next morning, Vali knocked on their door and Sigyn stirred enough to call out that they would be sleeping late that day and asked him to go to the dining hall to break his fast. She also asked him to tell the servants to leave them unbothered before drifting back to sleep.

Loki woke late that morning and snuggled up against his wife for a time. He wished to stay as he was all day long, but there was a realm to rule…He groaned while sitting up. “Morning lover,” he said as Sigyn stretched her arms and squealed. He stepped out of the warm bed and stretched as well before transforming into Odin. “I hope the servants kept our food warm,” he grumbled as he walked off to prepare for the day.

Sigyn dressed and emerged from the sleeping chamber to find food to prepare a plate for her husband. He joined her, in Odin’s form, after a while and they ate in contented silence. “I should find out where Vali is,” he said when he’d finished breaking his fast. “And I have many important things to do today, so I shall see you tonight.” He kissed Sigyn tenderly, in the full sight of the servants before leaving his chambers.

Loki assumed he would find Vali in the dining halls but it would not do for Odin to be seen walking through there looking for his son’s son. Instead, he walked to his throne room with the intention of sending one of the advisors to fetch him, but he was surprised to see Vali sitting on the throne with all of the advisors standing around him. “My prince, in the absence of the king, the decision lies with you,” one of them said as he held out a scroll for Vali to read.

Vali took the scroll out of the man’s hands and studied it for a minute as Odin watched in a darkened corner of the throne room to observe unseen. Vali furrowed his brow and folded the scroll up again before handing it back to the advisor. “If the Jotuns do not wish to continue negotiations with us, we cannot allow them to invade Alfheim unimpeded. We must send help to the light elves in holding off the Jotuns, and in doing so, hopefully we shall be able to contain the Jotuns with little bloodshed. We should send three ships of soldiers to land on Alfheim and they can resolve the conflict before it grows any larger. We must maintain our dominance over the rest of the eight realms or the Jotuns will never stop. They must remember their place within the Nine Realms and we shall remind them of it. When the Allfather arrives today, I shall discuss it further with him,” he said with an air of authority and confidence that nearly brought tears to Odin’s eyes.

The advisors presented several other issues to Vali, and Odin remained in the darkened corner listening to all the boy had to say about them. The pride welling up inside of him could hardly be contained. Everything he wanted in a ruler of Asgard, he saw in Vali. Vali was intelligent and level-headed. He was confident but not overly so. He was balanced. It was a glorious thing to watch.

Odin watched for a while longer before emerging from the corner of the throne room and approaching Vali. “Well, well, I see my son’s son is busy at work already,” he said in greeting. “I have heard some of your decisions and I must express my pride in your brilliance. You will indeed make a good king someday.”

Vali stood up and bowed to the Allfather. “I was approached in the dining halls by the advisors while breaking my fast,” he said in explanation. “When I informed them that you were to be late today, they recommended that I begin the day’s topics of interest in your stead. All decisions are to be finalized by you, of course.”

Odin nodded and took his seat on the throne as Vali moved over to the seat of honor next to it. “You did very well, my son’s son,” he replied. “I shall take all of your recommendations into account before making my final decision. And perhaps, with the throne in such capable hands, I shall permit myself more time away from it. I don’t mind sleeping in a bit in the mornings…”

“I dare say you have earned that privilege,” Vali replied. “I shall be happy to take on whatever responsibilities for which you think me fit.”

Sigyn’s heart swelled with pride as well when she heard of her son’s accomplishments that day at the midday meal. “My son, you will be a wonderful king one day,” she said while wiping tears out of her eyes. She kissed his cheek before sending him off to eat with his friends at the far end of the table.

“I wonder what the Allfather needed to sleep in for,” Fandral commented as he looked at Sigyn pointedly once Vali was out of earshot. “Perhaps his new lover is keeping him up all night long…”

Sigyn looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “What the Allfather does in his private time is not your concern,” she replied coolly. “And his lover is _certainly_ none of your business.”

Fandral frowned. “She should have been,” he muttered.

Volstagg clapped him on the shoulder. “Chin up, my friend,” he said sympathetically. “You have plenty of other women here to choose from. Be content with them.” Fandral shrugged and looked away from Sigyn. She turned her attention to the Lady Sif and spent the rest of the meal speaking with her.

When Sigyn was finished, she returned to her chambers and had her servants seek out the mothers of the girls Vali had preferred. When each one arrived, she made arrangements with them for the children to spend time together each week. The mothers were very happy to hear that their daughters had passed Vali’s muster. “Of course, we shall wait to see how they feel for one another when they are older,” Sigyn told each of them.

Sigyn was considerably younger than any of the other mothers, and none of them shared her “strange notions” for how a love match ought to be made. “I do not see the sense in letting them choose for themselves,” Rona’s mother commented. “We know what is best for them and have the sense of making the best match for them. Why not do as tradition dictates?”

“I think that my son should have a choice in who he is wedded to,” Sigyn replied firmly. “Loki and I were allowed to choose for ourselves, and our marriage was very blessed and happy because of it.”

“Love can also come from being together over time. There is nothing wrong with that…” Rona’s mother looked insulted.

“I do not mean to imply that there is something wrong with an arranged marriage,” Sigyn replied. “All I wish is for my son to have the freedom to choose for himself. That is all. And should he make a choice, the arrangements and contracts shall be arranged as any other betrothal contract would. The bride price and dowry would still be paid and all the other rituals would be fulfilled.”

The other woman seemed more satisfied when she found out there would be no loss of money on her family’s part should a marriage be struck between Rona and Vali. Apparently becoming the future queen of Asgard was not enough for their family…

The rest of the mothers had similar views, and Sigyn was glad the choice was Vali’s to make, and not hers, and tried her best not to judge the daughters based on their mother’s attitudes. Besides, she told herself, if the time comes for me to form a marriage contract, I shall be dealing with her father, not her mother…

That night at the supper table, Vali told Sigyn in great detail all about the exciting morning he’d had. “I am so proud of you,” she said before kissing his cheek.

When Vali went to bed that night, Loki hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head. “I am very proud of you too, my son,” he whispered in his son’s ear. Vali clung tightly to him for a minute before letting go and retreating to his sleeping chambers.

That night, Vali wrapped himself up in his rabbit skin blanket and fell asleep, dreaming of the day when he became king.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nari and Vali continue to grow and thrive in their respective homes and lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please note that due to this story’s timeline (about a year in our future), there is no way I can work in the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, into this story. I would have loved to, because I strive to keep my stories as accurate to the movies/books they’re based on, but it’s not possible this time. This story will continue as if the events of that movie never took place.

As the months progressed, Loki gave Vali more and more responsibilities, and took the opportunity to sleep in on the mornings that he and Sigyn had stayed up too late the previous night. Vali responded well to having more expectations, and grew and matured before his parents’ eyes.

Vali’s friends began to turn to him to act as a mediator to resolve the squabbles that young people have. In him, his companions saw a wise, just boy who tried to weigh all sides of an issue before making his decisions. In him, they saw a glimpse of the king to whom they would one day swear fealty.

One of Vali’s favorite pastimes now, was spending time with his new companions, while Sigyn kept a watchful eye on them. He hadn’t much experience with members of the opposite sex, but he was finding that he quite liked them. Rona, Gunndis, and Eira were all very different from one another.

Rona was studious, like he was, and the two spent hours discussing important scholarly matters. One of their favorite things to do was to sit outside under the stars and talk about their properties as well as the legends associated with them. Sigyn would sit inside, knitting, but was always seated where she could observe the children.

Eira was a lovely, gentle girl who reminded Vali of his mother. She was sweet and kind and loved to listen to anything he had to say. Eira wished very much to marry and become a mother to many children one day. Vali thought she was terribly pretty, and sometimes felt his palms grow sweaty in her presence. Their activities consisted mostly of Eira listening to Vali talk, and him trying to think of more and more outlandish stories to impress her.

Gunndis was the girl who challenged Vali the most, though. She was all fire and energy, and Vali felt himself absorb some of that whenever he was around her. She began to spend time with him outside of his home, as the rest of his friends enjoyed her presence as well. She taught Vali how to wrestle and how to sneak into and out of the forges without getting caught. Vali thought she was a wonderful friend that he could learn a lot from. He would do almost anything she suggested, because she always made it sound like a wonderful idea.

Sigyn thought Gunndis was a girl who would get Vali into trouble more often than not, but she was determined to let him make his own choices. She patiently watched over them when they were in her presence, and hoped he would use his normally-good judgment to make good choices when he was with friends outside of their home.

But it was Loki who put a stop to Gunndis’s bad influence on Vali. Vali and his friends had been caught sneaking into the forges one afternoon, and Kjell had sent for Sigyn to collect them. “It is not that I dislike having your son and his friends here, my daughter,” Kjell had reassured her when she’d arrived. “But you remember how dangerous it is, and the children are untrained. And besides, Vali must remain unharmed for he is to be king one day…”

“Vali Lokison, how could you sneak into the forges and interrupt Kjell’s important work?” Sigyn had cried before taking Vali by the ear and marching him out of the room. When the other children followed slowly behind them, she’d looked over her shoulder. “You all run along to your homes now, and I shall be speaking to your mothers about this!” The children had scattered in all directions upon hearing her threat.

That evening, Loki yelled at Vali for sneaking into the forges and lectured him for over an hour on proper princely behavior. “A prince should never sneak into the forges, it is very dangerous there!” His heart pounded at the idea of Vali getting hurt by the hot metal or the fires. Neither of his sons had ever been badly injured as some children were wont to do, nor had they ever been terribly sick and he wanted to keep it that way.

“But father, you and Thor used to sneak in there all the time,” Vali protested. “You even met mother there.”

Loki frowned. “Do not change the subject!” he cried. “We are talking about you. I would expect this sort of behavior from your brother, but not from you. Whatever has gotten into you lately?”

Vali folded his arms and stuck his lower lip out defiantly. “I do not see why I should be punished for things you and farbror did when you were our age. You never got into trouble for it…”

“Your farbror got in trouble for it,” Loki replied. “I remember your farmor Frigga marching him out of the room one time when she was so upset with him for sneaking in there.” He grew silent and looked at Vali with great scrutiny. “It is that Gunndis girl, no doubt. She is filling your head with nonsense and you are following her blindly. I will not permit you to see her anymore.” He looked over at Sigyn. “I am forbidding that girl from seeing Vali again.”

Sigyn knew Loki’s mind was made up about this topic and didn’t wish to challenge him on it. As the head of the family he was well within his rights to do so. She wasn’t terribly fond of the girl’s influence on Vali either. “Very well,” she replied. “I will no longer invite her to visit and will tell her mother that she is not permitted to play with Vali outside of our home either.”

Vali kicked at the table leg nearest to him. “I think you two are being terribly cruel to me for no good reason,” he pouted. “You two are absolutely the meanest parents a boy could ever have! I should go live with Bruce and Brynja too, like Nari!”

Sigyn rolled her eyes. “We have been quite lenient with you, my son,” she replied sternly. “We could have punished you severely for this, but instead we have decided to be lenient and only remove the cause of the issue.”

Vali pouted a while longer and continued to kick the table leg. Loki grew impatient with his son’s insolence. “Vali, go to your sleeping chambers this instant,” he finally said after a minute. “You shall spend the evening writing three sheets of parchment about princely behavior and being respectful to one’s parents.”

Vali slowly stood up from the table. “Very well, I shall write those pages, and then I shall write pages about how parents should be more respectful to their children.” With that, he stomped off to his sleeping chambers and slammed his door as loudly as he could.

Loki shook his head and took a deep breath to calm himself down. “That boy,” he muttered. “Imagine him speaking to us so…I would _never_ have spoken to my parents with so much disrespect when I was his age…”

Sigyn raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh?” she asked.

He looked at her for a moment before shrugging. “Oh, very well, I had my share of fits as a child,” he admitted. “This is just so unlike Vali…”

“It is, I agree,” Sigyn replied. “But he has many expectations being put on him at the moment. Perhaps it is too much, though he does not realize it. And all children throw fits. I had fits as a child. I can remember some of Kjell’s whippings when I became too unmanageable…”

“I shall let Vali have a good night’s sleep tonight,” Loki replied. “In the morning, things will look better, no doubt.”

Sigyn stood up and began to clear the supper table. “Why don’t you go relax by the fire,” she suggested. “You’ve had a very hard day. I’ll come over and rub your shoulders when I have finished here.”

Loki smiled and reached out to grab her hand. “You are such a wonderful wife,” he said before kissing her hand.

He read a book until Sigyn came over to the bench to join him. He set his book down and closed his eyes as she gently rubbed his neck and shoulders. She had always had a way with her hands, and he could feel her calming energy flowing through her fingertips and into his body. “Mmm, my wife, I am truly blessed to be your husband,” he murmured.

Sigyn smiled and moved her hands down between his shoulder blades. “Even though I bore you two sons who cause you so much aggravation?” she asked lightly, already knowing the answer.

“They are not so bad,” Loki replied as he leaned back and nestled his head against his wife’s soft breasts. She reached over and gently rubbed her fingertips against his scalp and forehead. “Sure, I would like to lock Vali in his room sometimes just so he doesn’t cause any more trouble, but I would not trade our sons for anything. They are a part of our own souls, after all.”

“Sometimes I look at the boys and I cannot believe that we made them,” Sigyn said. “To think that their souls did not exist before ours became entwined, and that they did not have bodies of their own until we created them. Is that not truly amazing?”

Loki smiled and nodded his head. “It is wondrous,” he murmured. “And I am sorry that I could not give you more of those miracles…”

Sigyn wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders and kissed his cheek. “Two miracles are good enough for me,” she replied earnestly. “Even if those miracles throw fits on occasion…”

“I wonder if Vali might take it upon himself to run away from home in order to teach us a lesson,” Loki said quietly. “I shall warn Heimdall, but other than that, I do not think we should interfere. He will learn an important lesson if we allow him to attempt it.”

Sigyn’s heart pounded at the thought of her son coming to harm if he ran away. There were so many things that could happen to a small boy on his own in this realm. Loki wrapped his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. “You know I can read your mind, my love,” he said. “And you know I would never let Vali come to harm. If he runs away, he will be monitored, though he won’t know it…”

Sigyn sighed with relief. “Do you remember when we ran away? It was terribly romantic…I thought you were the most amazing young man I’d ever known and the thought of you loving me was nearly too much for me to handle.”

Loki smiled at the memory. “It didn’t last long, our attempt to run away…Heimdall can by amazingly persistent at his job…”

“Well, it turned out for the best, I’d say,” Sigyn replied. “Since we ended up in the healing rooms not too long afterwards…”

“I remember none of that. I remember waking up in bed with you and wondering what had happened.” Loki smiled at the memory. “And then there were the boys. We were so young to have created new life. I see that now. I cannot imagine watching one of our sons going through the same thing when they get a little older…”

“I can see how having children of their own when they are older and wiser would be easier on them. We live for so long that we should enjoy being ourselves for some time before we become parents. Being a wife and mother is all I know, and being a husband and father is all you know. Imagine what our lives would be like if we had never met.”

Loki thought about how different his life would have been if Sigyn and his sons were not in it. Would he have found another woman to marry instead? He was still young enough that it was not expected of him yet. Would his path have differed greatly? No doubt, the truth of his parentage would have been discovered, but he wouldn’t have had Sigyn’s love and support to help him through that terrible time. He wouldn’t have had anybody to live for once he’d been imprisoned after his attempt at ruling Midgard. Without her to focus on, he surely would have lost his mind. He shuddered and leaned against Sigyn again. “I do not wish to think about it,” he replied. “You and the boys contain the only good shard of my soul that still exists…”

“I think you are not as bad as you think you are,” Sigyn replied. “You just have a playful sense of humor and had some past wrongs to rectify, that is all.”

“You are too generous, my love.”

“Let us not speak of it anymore tonight,” Sigyn requested as she shifted herself away from Loki and stood up. “Let us retire for the night.”

Loki stood up and held her hand as they walked to the Allfather’s sleeping chamber.

(SCENE)

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Loki read Vali’s essays. It was evident that, even as mature as Vali was for his age, and how he was able to make sound decisions in the throne room, he was still a child in many other ways. Perhaps it was unfair to expect so much at his tender age.

“Vali, I commend you for your thoughts on justice and fairness when making kingly decisions, but a weekly feast for the whole kingdom is out of the question,” he concluded.

“But I wish for there to be many celebrations,” Vali explained.

“Celebrations are no longer special if they occur too often,” Sigyn added.

“At least might we celebrate Christmas as the Midgardians do? Nari tells me he is getting ready for it and it’s terribly exciting.”

Loki wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he replied. “We shall celebrate Jul, as we always have. Although I am not looking forward to partaking in the Allfather’s traditional drunken jaunt through the halls on a goat. But, tradition dictates it, and so I must…” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “It is so undignified. Even as a child I was mortified to see him do that…”

Sigyn smiled sympathetically. “Perhaps Vali could take over if you are seen to be teaching him how and can claim that you are getting too old for such antics.”

“Perhaps.” He turned his attention to the rest of the essay about being respectful to one’s parents. “No, Vali, being a child is not at all the same as being a servant or a prisoner. Being sent to your chambers to write an essay as a punishment is hardly comparable to living your entire life inside a cage with no rights at all to do as you please.” Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. The cheek of that boy!

Vali frowned. “All I wish to do is play with my friends,” he said. “I do not see why Gunndis has to stop being my friend. I have the most fun with her!”

Sigyn was finished with taking Vali’s bratty attitude and decided it was her place as his mother to straighten him out. “Vali you are being disrespectful to your father and to me and I will not tolerate it any longer,” she said firmly. “Gunndis causes you to do things you are not allowed to do and you do them without thinking. This is why you are no longer allowed to see her.” Vali bit his lip and looked at his mother, wide-eyed, but said nothing. “You are becoming very rude to me and your father and that must stop. There is nothing wrong with being a servant, Vali. Do not forget that I used to be a servant. And you have led a very privileged life so far, my son, and that cannot be compared to the confinement of a prison. Perhaps we have been too soft on you all these years. You have been given many things that others have not. Perhaps it is time you learned the value of hard work. I shall speak to Kjell about this. I think spending time in the forges, learning how to work with your hands, how to do a skill, will do wonders for you. And besides, it will be beneficial for you to know exactly what life is like for those who shall one day be serving you. This will make you a better king to your people.”

Vali’s mouth dropped open and he glanced at his father. “Father…” he stammered.

Loki set his fork down and looked at his son. “Your mother is perfectly within her rights to do this,” he replied. “You are not yet a man grown, nor are you the king. Until either one of those occurs, Sigyn has the last say in how you are raised. I cannot help you. And even if I could help you, I would not, because I agree with your mother that learning the value of hard work is an important lesson to learn.”

Vali folded his arms and glared at his parents for a moment. “Very well,” he finally muttered.

“Think about it this way,” Loki said, “since you enjoy spending so much time in the forges, this will be a wonderful opportunity for you to spend as much time there as you possibly can.”

Vali seemed to realize he was outnumbered and stopped struggling against them. “Very well,” he said again. He had finished his food and pushed his plate away. “May I please be excused? I need to go to my archery lesson…”

“Yes, you maybe be excused,” Sigyn replied. “Enjoy your lesson and I shall see you at the midday meal.”

Vali traipsed out of the room, leaving his parents alone. Loki stole a glance at his wife and grinned. “I love it when you are so authoritative,” he commented. “I find it extremely attractive…”

Sigyn grinned slyly. “Oh? Do you? I had no idea,” she replied.

Loki slowly smiled and stood up. He walked over to her, took her by the hand and led her to his sleeping chambers. After a frenzied and hurried coupling, they reemerged from the room and returned to their daily duties.

That day, Sigyn went down to the forges to speak with Kjell. “Father, how good to see you,” she said as she embraced her father.

“Good is the day when I am blessed to see you, my daughter,” Kjell replied before kissing her forehead. “What brings you here?”

“I wish to arrange for Vali to spend time with you, learning your crafts,” she explained. “As you know, Vali has been rather rambunctious lately and I am trying to work on his discipline. I think hard work might help him.”

“Does the Allfather approve of him spending time away from training to become king?”

“The Allfather has no say in this matter,” Sigyn replied. “I must first teach Vali to be a good person before he can learn to be a good king.”

Kjell nodded in agreement. “You are wise, my daughter. Vali will learn much from working in the forges. You know quite well what he can learn.” They arranged to have Vali spend a few hours every day after the midday meal in order to learn what Kjell could teach him.

Vali did his best to avoid looking at Sigyn or the Allfather at the midday meal. He sat with his friends at the far end of the table. Gunndis was no longer sitting with them, as Sigyn had contacted her mother already. He talked with Volstagg’s sons about an upcoming hunting trip that they were all looking forward to.

Sigyn spoke to Odin at the midday meal about her meeting with Kjell. “Vali will still be able to spend the mornings in the throne room on days when he does not have his weapons training or horsemanship lessons” she explained.

Odin nodded in approval. “This will be good for the boy,” he replied. “I have been appalled by his behavior of late. Hopefully this will resolve the issue.” Sigyn nodded as well. “You are a good mother, my dear. I have faith in you that you will continue to help Vali on his path towards becoming a man grown.”

Sigyn spent her afternoon practicing magic. It had been quite a long time since she had had the time to work on it. Iona was fascinated by her powers and insisted on watching when she practiced. Sigyn liked the encouragement and permitted her to watch. “Oh my lady, you have such a talent for magic!” Iona cried after Sigyn had successfully managed to transport a crow from outside her chamber windows to the interior of the room where it was currently flying around, squawking loudly.

Iona ran to the window, opened it, and attempted to shoo the bird out. Sigyn joined in and it took several minutes to get it out. Both women were laughing and breathless by the time it was over. “I suppose I could have just reversed the spell,” Sigyn gasped, “But this was much more amusing.”

She collapsed on the bed to catch her breath and Iona lay down next to her and began to run her fingers through Sigyn’s soft blonde hair. “My lady, you look so beautiful today,” she said quietly. “Your cheeks are rosy from the exertion and I wish to kiss them…”

Sigyn smiled up at Iona. “Well, then, kiss them and your wish shall be fulfilled…” She closed her eyes as Iona leaned down and planted gentle kisses on her cheeks. The kisses grew less gentle and moved to her lips. Sigyn wrapped her arms around her maid’s shoulders and drew her down into an embrace. She had practiced enough magic for one afternoon and now it was time for more pleasurable things…

When the two women were sated, they retreated to the main living room and worked on knitting and chatted for the rest of the afternoon. Iona was always a sympathetic ear for Sigyn and could be trusted to keep her secrets. “I’m sure it is just a phase Vali is going through. He will be all right in the end,” she said reassuringly as she counted rows on the scarf she was knitting. “You are an exemplary mother and have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, Iona, you always cheer me up,” Sigyn replied. She sighed and shook her head. “I just wish he was sorted out already. I do not like being harsh with him.”

Iona patted her hand sympathetically and leaned in to kiss her gently. “Do not fret, my lady, all will be well.”

Sigyn hugged her again. “You are a wonderful friend,” she murmured before letting go of her. She returned to her knitting, feeling more hopeful.

That evening, Vali behaved more civilly at the supper table. “We are looking forward to the hunting party Volstagg is taking us on after Jul. He says it takes true talent to successfully hunt in the winter, and I hope I can do it…” Sigyn had asked how his day had gone. “Did you speak with Kjell?” he asked after she had served him a second plate of food.

“I did,” Sigyn replied with a nod of her head. “You are expected in the forge after the midday meal every day to learn what he has to teach you. I think you will enjoy it in spite of the hard work. You will see what I grew up doing before I left to work in the kitchens.”

“I think it is odd that Kjell permitted you to work in the forges,” Vali commented. “It is a man’s job.”

Sigyn nodded in agreement. “I had no mother, and Kjell wished to keep me close by. He had no choice but to permit it,” she explained. “But I agree that men are better suited to the rigors of forging metal. It matters less if a man is injured, but women ought to stay protected from bodily harm. They are far too valuable to be wasted on such tasks.”

“It is a good thing, though, that Kjell permitted you to work there, or you and father would never have met.”

Sigyn glanced at Loki and smiled. “This is true,” she replied. She sat in contemplation for a while. Vali seemed to enjoy Gunndis’s friendship a lot. The girl brought out a different side to her son that the other girls didn’t. What if Gunndis was the one meant for him? She didn’t want them to be unhappy, she only wished for Vali to behave himself. With a sigh, she looked at him very carefully. “Vali, let us strike a deal, you and I,” she started. “At the end of your time in the forges, if you have proved that you are responsible and sensible, I will allow you to play with Gunndis again. She may play with you here, while I am present. Do you think you can learn to be mindful of your actions when she is around?”

Vali bit his lower lip. “I shall do my best,” he replied earnestly. “All of her ideas seem sound at the time…”

“You must train yourself to think first and decide for yourself if the idea is sound or not _before_ doing it,” Sigyn instructed. “I am not punishing you to be cruel, I am trying to make sure that you grow up into a responsible adult. It is not always fun to work on discipline, but I am not enjoying having to discipline you either.”

Vali thought about this for a minute. “I suppose being a mother is hard work,” he finally replied.

“It is very hard work,” Sigyn confirmed.

“I shall do my best to be less troublesome,” Vali relented. “I shall try harder to think first before doing something.”

“Very good,” Sigyn replied before standing up and embracing her son. “I know you might not always think so, but your father and I love you very much.” Vali smiled and kissed her cheek before retreating to his sleeping chamber.

“Well, I think you handled that very nicely,” Loki said as he sat down by the fireplace to read a book, leaving Sigyn to clear up the supper table. “As I said before, I couldn’t have chosen a better mother for my children if I’d tried.”

“Thank you,” Sigyn replied with a smile. “I try my best. Oh, and that reminds me, I am going to Midgard tomorrow to visit with Nari. It is what Brynja calls the ‘weekend’ and he will not be attending school that day, so I shall be able to spend the whole day with him.”

“He must visit us here some time so that I may see him,” Loki replied. “I miss him too…I feel as though there is a hole in my heart and that I am always forgetting something now that he is gone.”

Sigyn finished clearing the table and joined her husband by the fire. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I know how you feel,” she replied. “A part of us is gone now that he is not here. There is always part of me that is empty without having him in my daily life.”

“I wish he would return, even if there is to be no kinghood for him.”

Sigyn ran her fingers through her husband’s hair and tried to soothe him. “It is for the best for Nari,” she replied. “It would be selfish of us to make him come back home.”

Loki tried to distract himself from the ache in his heart that threatened to overwhelm him. “You will find time in your visit tomorrow to lie with Brynja, no doubt,” he said as Sigyn sat down on his lap.

“Perhaps,” Sigyn replied. “I miss her terribly as well. But I cannot take too much time out of being with Nari.”

“If you do lie with her tomorrow, then you must lie with me when you return,” Loki replied. “I insist upon it. And even if you do not lie with her, you must still lie with me tomorrow night.”

Sigyn leaned in and kissed him reassuringly. “Very well,” she replied. “And what about tonight?”

“Well, you must lie with me tonight as well,” he said. To emphasize this, he stood up while picking her up in his arms. “And let us start presently.”

“Very well, my husband,” Sigyn replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her all the way to his sleeping chamber.

Loki tenderly made love to his wife that night, and was reminded once again why he loved her so much. There was no woman sweeter or lovelier than his Sigyn. When she fell asleep in his arms that night, he felt peaceful, just because she was there. She was his anchor, the one who kept him from falling apart entirely.

(SCENE)

The next day, Sigyn sent Vali off to the throne room with the promise to go to Kjell after the midday meal. “I shall be back tonight, and I want a full report of your day’s events,” she instructed. When he left, she walked out of the palace and trekked across the Bifrost to Heimdall’s station. “How fares my son?” she asked Heimdall with a smile.

Heimdall smiled and looked out into the wide expanse of space towards Midgard. “He is doing well with his schooling, and he is very much looking forward to your visit today,” he replied after a minute.

Sigyn clutched her hands to her heart and sighed. She stepped into place so that Heimdall could transport her to Midgard. “Thank you, good Heimdall,” she said before closing her eyes. A moment later, she felt a warmth envelope her and she was being hurtled through space. She always kept her eyes closed because it was so bright. A minute later, she landed in the backyard of Bruce and Brynja’s house. After catching her breath, she walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Nari opened the door a minute later and she watched as his face broke into a huge grin. “Mor!” he cried before throwing his arms around her. “I am so happy to see you!”

“Oh, my son! I am so glad to see you too!” Sigyn said as she choked back tears and kissed his cheeks and forehead. “You’re getting so big!” She examined him carefully and laughed to see how tall he was now. They embraced for several minutes until Bruce and Brynja came into the kitchen to join them. Sigyn broke away from her son long enough to hug and kiss them. “Oh I have missed you two so much,” she said. “I hear Nari is doing well with his schooling; I hope you will tell me all about it.”

Nari took Sigyn’s hand and led her up to his sleeping chamber to show her his school books and all his work. “I am learning so much, mor,” he said. “Mathematics and science and the history of America and reading English and spelling, and the best part is recess. That and gym class.”

Sigyn’s heart swelled with pride to hear how much Nari was enjoying school. He had always struggled with it. Clearly Bruce and Brynja were going a wonderful job tutoring him. “Do you still take horse riding lessons and karate classes?” she asked when he was finished showing off his papers to her.

“Yes, I love them so much,” Nari said. He ran to his closet and pulled something out. He came back and presented her with a green cloth belt. “I have earned this belt in karate. Every time you reach a new level, you get a new colored belt. Black is the highest and I’m getting there.”

“Oh my son, I am so proud of you. You work so hard and I love to see it reap rewards for you.” Nari also showed her a photograph of the horse he rode every week at his lessons. “I can leap over partitions on him,” he said with a grin. “It’s so cool!”

Bruce took a lot of pictures of Nari and Sigyn that day and printed them off for her to take back to Asgard with her. “I’m sure the Allfather will like to see these,” he said. Every time Sigyn visited, she came back with handfuls of photographs to add to her albums. When she or Loki missed Nari, they would pour through the albums and feel slightly closer to him.

Bruce also took them all out to lunch at a local café, and Sigyn was pleased that she remembered how to read Midgardian words and was able to order for herself. She smiled proudly at Nari when his turn to order came and he had no difficulties in telling the server what he wanted. “You are such a smart boy,” she praised after the server left.

Sigyn spent their meal asking everybody questions about their lives. Bruce was still working on experiments and helping SHIELD with their needs when he was able to. Brynja continued to keep house and Bruce was planning on teaching her how to drive so she could do the shopping and take Nari to his lessons. “I look forward to being able to help out more,” Brynja commented. “Bruce does so much for us and I wish to give him more time for himself.”

Sigyn ate her cheeseburger and French fries and imagined how she might prepare the dish for Loki and Vali some time. Brynja continued to talk as they ate. “We told the neighbors the truth about us after Nari returned to stay,” she said in between bites of her clam chowder. “It was difficult to explain why you and Vali had left when they thought you and Bruce were married, and when Nari came back it caused too much curiosity and gossip, so we had to reveal who we really were…”

“Were they accepting of it?” Sigyn asked.

“They were shocked at first, and then excited that one of the Avengers and two Asgardians were living in their neighborhood,” Bruce replied. “And then a little nervous over _which_ Avenger was living there…But they seem alright now. They’re still very polite and friendly. Brynja helped Alice with her canning again this autumn.”

“We missed you,” Brynja said to Sigyn before reaching out to squeeze her friend’s hand.

“I have been working on preserving foods as well,” Sigyn replied. “Volstagg, in particular, enjoys all the new dishes I create.”

Brynja laughed. “Volstagg loves all food, but I have no doubt that yours is delicious.”

After the midday meal, they walked around town and Nari showed Sigyn all his favorite places to go in town and she enjoyed every second of it. Nari was a good tour guide and held her hand the entire time.

As the day went on, she found it more and more difficult to imagine leaving for home and leaving Nari behind. Her every instinct told her to cling to him tightly and bring him back with her to Asgard, but her head told her that letting him stay was the right thing to do. Brynja walked alongside her as Nari ran ahead. “I know you miss Nari, but he is thriving here,” she said as they walked back to the van to return to the house. “He misses you and Vali, but he is happy here. He has a good future here. He is thinking about working for SHIELD when he is a man grown. There is so much he could do for them. His strength would be an asset, and perhaps one day he could even become an Avenger like Bruce and Thor.”

Sigyn twined her fingers through Brynja’s and felt more at ease. “I just miss him so badly,” she said quietly. “And I miss you as well. Iona is lovely, but she is not you. I do not feel complete when you and my son are so far away from me.”

Once in the van, Sigyn sat in the back next to Nari and doted upon him the entire ride back to the house. Nari smiled and leaned in against her, allowing her to pet his hair and kiss his cheeks and forehead.

At home, Nari ran around the back yard showing off his karate skills while Sigyn and Brynja sat on the porch, sipping hot chocolate, and watching him. Sigyn settled into Brynja’s arms and allowed the other woman to hold her as her son showed off for them. “Some day, you must visit me in Asgard,” Sigyn said quietly to Brynja. “I will show you my garden and we can make love there. I should very much enjoy that.”

Brynja smiled and squeezed Sigyn’s shoulders lovingly. “That would be wonderful. And perhaps Iona could join us.”

“Perhaps, if she is not too busy…”

“You can make sure she is not busy,” Brynja said before kissing her cheek.

The two women sat, murmuring words of love to one another for a while before changing the subject to Vali and how Sigyn was helping him to find a wife. “He is so young still, but I must already worry about such things. At least I need not worry about Nari. He shall find a wife in his own time.” She looked over at him for a moment and frowned. “I do worry about his development, though. Will he be able to find the lovers he needs here?”

Brynja was silent for a moment before speaking. “Midgardians seem to think they prefer either men or women, and seem rather fixed on that idea. They are not like us. Nari will be encouraged to have female lovers, but not male lovers, by his peers and by the greater world. I shall do my best to help him find male lovers so that he can be fully developed as a man grown.”

“I am glad to hear this,” Sigyn replied with a sigh. “I hope he is happy and fulfilled here on Midgard.” Nari seemed to have grown tired from the exertion, and came over to sit down in front of his mother. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “My son, you are so strong and talented at karate. I am very proud of you.”

Nari sighed and settled into his mother’s embrace. “I love these days when you visit, mor,” he said. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

Sigyn rocked him gently. “Perhaps one day when you are a man grown and Vali is king and no longer needs me as much, I will be able to spend more time here. But for now, it must remain thus, I am afraid. I will continue to visit, and at times, you will visit Asgard. You will return for Vali’s coronation, or course, and perhaps Thor shall as well.”

“I have not heard from him yet,” Nari said with a frown. “I think I shall write a letter to him soon and Bruce will help me mail it. I miss him terribly.”

“Why don’t we compose a letter to him together? Bruce can help you mail it tomorrow.”

“This is a wonderful idea!” Nari jumped up and ran into the house, returning a couple minutes later with a sheet of paper and a pencil. “I shall write it in Asgardian letters since I do not know if he can read Midgardian words.”

Brynja retreated into the house to prepare supper as Sigyn and Nari worked on their letter to Thor. Sigyn let Nari do all the writing and helped him on his wording, and in the end, they were confident that Thor would respond to the letter.

Sigyn stayed for the spaghetti supper Brynja had prepared before taking her leave. There were more hugs, kisses, and tears, and Bruce gave her the photographs he’d taken of the day and she clutched them to her as the light of the Bifrost enveloped her once again. Heimdall politely looked at all the pictures she’d brought back as she told him all about her day. “Nari grows hearty in Midgard,” he commented. “He thrives in that world and one day he shall do many great things for them.” Sigyn hugged him before taking her leave to return to the palace.

Loki and Vali were waiting for her when she returned to their chambers. They had eaten their supper in the dining halls that night. Vali was seated at the supper table, resting his hands on his folded arms, nearly asleep after a long afternoon of hard labor in the forges. “I trust you had a pleasant visit today,” Loki said in greeting as Sigyn kissed his cheek. “You were missed.”

“Yes, I had a lovely visit, and I have so many pictures to share with you both,” she replied before sitting down next to her husband on the bench by the hearth, and waiting for Vali to join them. She passed around the photographs and explained in great detail everything that had gone on that day and how Nari fared in his schooling and athletic training. “He is very well and I am so proud of the progress he is making there.”

Loki looked at each picture of his smiling son and felt his heart fill with anguish at being parted from his firstborn. He kept his emotions under control until later that night when he and Sigyn were in bed. “I miss my child,” he confessed as tears flowed down his cheeks. Sigyn held her husband closely and they cried together for some time before she reached out to wipe away his tears.

“It tears at our souls to have him so far from us,” she said quietly. “We need to draw strength from each other, and enjoy the times we do have with him.”

“I do not get to see him,” Loki murmured. “I must experience it through you, but I do not get to see him myself…” He let his wife run her fingers through his hair and sighed at how good it felt.

“He will come when Vali becomes king,” she reminded him. “You will get a chance to see him then at the very least.”

Loki lightly grasped her hand and brought it over to his mouth where he placed gentle kisses on her palm. “This is true,” he murmured. Sigyn leaned over and pressed her lips to his. “He is happy and that is what matters,” he said after she had pulled away from him.

Sigyn ran her fingertips up and down her husband’s stomach. “I was with Brynja all day long and I had no chance to lie with her,” she said with a frown, changing the subject.

Loki smiled slyly. “Well then, you must let me see to all of your needs,” he replied. “It would be a shame not to let you find any relief…” He leaned in to kiss her and reached out to untie the bodice of her nightclothes. His hands had just closed over her breasts, and he was taking his time kissing her neck and whispering naughty things in her ear, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. He groaned quietly and sat up. “What is it?” he called out in Odin’s voice.

“Mother? Allfather? May I come in?” Vali replied a moment later.

Sigyn sighed and quickly tied her bodice shut before sitting up in the bed. “Yes, my love, you may come in,” she called back.

Vali opened the door and trotted over to the bed. “Mother, my shoulders and arms hurt so badly I cannot sleep,” he complained. “Working in the forges is so hard…”

Loki was about to send Vali out to the healing rooms, when Sigyn held her arms out and frowned. “Come here and let me take care of you,” she said sympathetically. Vali climbed into the bed next to her and smiled as she began to rub his arms and shoulders. “Lie down on your stomach and let me rub your back,” she instructed after a while.

Vali did as he was instructed and sighed happily as Sigyn helped his body to relax. Loki sat back and watched, doing his best to ignore the pang of jealousy that stole through him. Before he could tell either of them to finish quickly, he realized that Vali had fallen asleep. “He sleeps,” he whispered to his wife.

Sigyn gently let go of her son and sat back in the bed. “He is exhausted,” she replied. They sat together and watched for a few minutes as Vali slept. “He is terribly adorable…And I feel bad for him. Kjell is a demanding master and asks a lot of his apprentices…Perhaps I am being cruel…”

Loki wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. “This is good for him,” he replied. “Hard work, discipline, respect…I dare say they are lessons Thor should have learned better. It might have saved me and all of us a lot of trouble.” He kissed Sigyn’s cheek before letting go of her and standing up. “I shall return him to his room.” He reached down and gently picked up his sleeping son’s body. Vali settled into his arms and Loki took his time walking him out of the room and into his own sleeping chamber. After tucking him into his bed and kissing his cheeks, Loki returned to his chamber once again.

Sigyn had untied her bodice and was waiting to continue their activities when he came back into the room. Loki grinned and wasted no time before resuming his husbandly duty to her. He was very thorough and she fell asleep later that night a very satisfied woman.

“Did I perform to your satisfaction, my wife?” Loki asked the next morning as they prepared for the day.

“Very much so,” Sigyn replied with a grin. “You have always been, and always will be, my favorite and greatest lover.”

Loki walked over to her and picked her up. She squealed as he carried her over to their bed and set her down. “Well, I need to leave you with something to remember me by through the day,” he said mischievously before lifting the skirt of her tunic above her knees and kneeling down before her. He loved making her cry out and wondered if the servants could hear them and were wondering what he was doing to her to illicit such a response.

Sigyn, for her part, did her best not to cry out her husband’s name, and tried to remember that the servants thought she was there with Odin. By the time he was done, she was breathless. He grinned at her as he watched her come back to her senses. He loved seeing how he could make her lose control. It was a powerful feeling. He sat on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, my Sjalsfrande, I wish we had no other cares in our minds but ourselves and our pleasure, but alas, I must go now,” he said quietly before kissing her.

Sigyn wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him for a few minutes before letting him go. “One day, the children will be grown, Vali will be king, and we shall have all of our days and nights to ourselves. We shall fill them with lovemaking from sun-up to sunset, and then in our nights we shall do the same all over again.”

Loki smiled as he stood up and transformed into Odin’s guise. “I look forward to that day, my wife,” he replied before turning to leave. “I shall see you tonight.” With that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

As Sigyn finished preparing for the day, she thought about her husband and how good he was to her. Not many people got to see the playful, loving, protective side, and many times she forgot about his problems of the past or that he was responsible for inflicting horrors on others. It seemed at times, he forgot as well. As always, it felt like there were two Lokis—the loving one and the cruel one. The loving one had been present ever since she had returned from Midgard, and she hoped he would remain forever. That was her last thought before she left the room for the day.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigyn learns that her actions have consequences. Some of them are terrible.

Vali’s behavior began to improve soon after beginning his training in the forges. He came home in the evenings exhausted, bruised, and with burns on his hands and arms. He was too tired to play with his friends and spent all of his spare time sleeping.

Sigyn had learned some healing spells in order to soothe her son’s aches and pains, but reserved them for his worst injuries. Pain made a person stronger, and she would not rob him of his chance to grow.

Loki was concerned that Vali might be too tired from his work to concentrate on learning to rule the realm, but he managed it all very well. “Do you enjoy working with Kjell?” he asked one night at the supper table.

Vali swallowed his food before answering. “Yes father, Kjell is hard to please, but he tells me fun stories of when mother was a child,” he glanced over at Sigyn and grinned.

Sigyn shook her head and laughed lightly. “Well I hope they are stories of how well-behaved I was,” she replied.

Vali looked at her skeptically and shook his head.

After the first few weeks, Sigyn visited Kjell in the forges one morning while Vali was in the throne room. “My father, I hope my son is working hard and not causing you trouble,” she said after they embraced. “He seems to quite enjoy it.”

“He works very hard, and I am proud of him,” Kjell replied. “He causes no trouble at all, but there are some who seem to take exception to his presence here. I do my best to keep him away from them.”

Sigyn frowned and glanced around the room. “Who takes exception?” she asked, frowning.

“It is Annar, and his son Egil,” Kjell replied. “You came here once and spoke to him.”

Sigyn’s mind raced back to the time she talked to Annar about his daughter’s chance at being Odin’s lover. Vasti had never gotten her opportunity to be deflowered by him because Odin had taken Sigyn as his sole lover before Vasti could be with him. Perhaps her family was upset at the implied slight, or the loss of added value to her bride price, or both. “They should not be cruel to a child because of the Allfather’s choice to take me as his lover…” Her frown deepened. “Do you think I should speak to Annar about this?”

“No, I think you should stay out of it,” Kjell replied. “This is men’s work and a man’s pride is involved. Being spoken to by a woman, and one he feels wronged his family, will only make it worse. You leave this to me.”

Sigyn folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Is it safe for Vali to be here? He is the heir to the throne, after all…” Her thoughts drifted back to Ivar and her former betrothed, Theoric, and the trouble they had caused so long ago. She didn’t want to go through that again.

“Annar would be very foolish to do something to Vali,” Kjell replied. “I will keep a close eye on everybody, and will send Vali back to you if I suspect anything.”

Sigyn nodded her head. “He is armed and trained as well, I suppose,” she replied. After speaking to her father for a while longer, she left the forges, but not before catching Annar’s eye. He glared at her for a moment. “Good morning to you,” she called out politely. “I hope you fare well today.”

Annar bowed deeply before her, condescendingly. “My lady, I fare well, and I hope you and the Allfather fare well too,” he growled.

Sigyn nodded to him. “We do, I thank you.”

“You must be busy, keeping the king satisfied with his many needs. It must be a difficult task, spending so much of your life lying down…”

Sigyn inhaled sharply and placed her hands on her hips. “What are you implying, Annar?”

Annar shrugged. “Nothing, my lady,” he replied. “I thought that was why you were sending your son down for your father to care for, so you can tend to the Allfather’s desires. You must have to work hard to keep the Allfather sated. You must be quite extraordinary since he no longer needs the company of the maidens. Vasti never got her chance to lie with him.”

Sigyn’s features darkened and she felt herself growing angry. She stepped towards him and noted that he stood at least a foot taller than her and outweighed her significantly. Was it folly to try and stand up to him? “You appear to have forgotten your manners, Annar,” she said coolly, her hands balling up into fists.

“I am perfectly courteous, when speaking to one worthy of such courtesy,” Annar replied.

Sigyn’s eyes flashed and she withdrew her dagger out of its scabbard, walked up to him, and backhanded his jaw with the pommel. Annar cried out in pain and bent over as she grasped his now-broken jaw in her hand. She grabbed a handful of his hair with the other hand, and yanked his head up to look into her eyes. “You need to remember how to behave when speaking to your betters,” she growled. “I am the king’s lover, a queen, and the prince’s mother! All of which are worthy of your respect. You would do better to remember this.” With that, she pushed his head down and let go of his hair. Annar dropped to his knees and she glanced around the forge to see if anybody else approached.

One man was watching them with wide eyes, though he didn’t interfere. “You!” she cried out, pointing her dagger at him. “Get this man to the healing rooms! I suspect he has broken his jaw and may not be able to speak again until he has learned to be more respectful to others.”

Kjell was at her side an instant later. “My daughter, what have you done?” he asked as she slipped the dagger back into its scabbard.

Sigyn took a deep breath and glared at Annar. “The man needed a reminder of his place in this realm, and I delivered it to him myself,” she replied. Her heart pounded and she felt anxious and energized, as though she could run the length of Asgard and back without getting tired. “If he treats me rudely or treats my son in a threatening manner again, he will get the other end of my dagger.”

Kjell sighed and watched as Annar trudged off to the healing rooms with the onlooker at his side. “My dear, you should go now,” he said firmly. “I will arrange it so that Vali is not here when Annar or his son are here, and that should keep trouble at bay.” He kissed her cheek and gently pushed her towards the exit.

Sigyn marched out of the forges, not looking at anybody else, trying to keep herself from getting into any more trouble. She knew Loki would approve of her action, but wondered at the consequences that might come of it. She fretted all the way back to her chambers and once she arrived, the energy coursing through her dissipated and she suddenly felt shaky and exhausted. “Iona, come and help me into my bed,” she called out to her maid, who had been dusting.

Iona set down her duster and rushed over to her mistress’s side. She placed a strong arm around Sigyn’s waist and helped her walk into her sleeping chamber. Once in her arms, Sigyn began to tell Iona what had just taken place. Iona helped her out of her clothes and back into her sleeping gown. “Oh, my lady!” she said. “That was so daring of you…” Sigyn patted the bed and the other woman slipped into the sheets next to her.

Sigyn settled into Iona’s embrace and took a deep breath. “It was,” she replied, “It was far more daring than I normally am and now I am worn out. My arms are trembling.” She held up her hand to show Iona. “See how it trembles?”

Iona reached out and entwined her fingers through her mistress’s. “My lady, you have had a terrible scare,” she replied sympathetically. “Would you like me to lie with you? It would help relax you, I think.”

Sigyn sighed. “I do not want to move,” she replied quietly. “Just hold me like so, and I shall sleep in your arms.” She closed her eyes and was asleep within seconds.

When she awoke before the midday meal, she frowned to see that Iona was no longer holding her, nor was she even in her chamber. She dressed herself and left the room to find her. “Oh, my lady!” Iona cried upon seeing her. “I have been dealing with your son and the Allfather both! They demanded to see you, but I refused to let them wake you. Word of your adventure this morning has reached across the entire realm by now, I have no doubt.” Iona sounded nervous. “The Allfather demands your presence after the midday meal. In the throne room…”

Sigyn shook her head and felt a wave of nerves roll over her. She hoped the angry Loki would not make an appearance when she went to see him. “I shall take my meal here, and then I will go to see the Allfather,” she replied. Iona nodded and went to prepare a plate of food for her.

Once Sigyn was sated, she and Iona fixed her hair and when she had mustered the courage, she left the room and made her way slowly to the throne room. Odin glowered at her from his throne as she appeared in the doorway. “Sigyn Kjellsdottir, make your way to me at once!” he bellowed angrily. Sigyn bit her lip and shivered before stepping into the room and walking up to him. “What have you to say for your actions?” he growled, his good eye piercing her heart. “Why should I not throw you into the prisons right now and be done with you?”

Sigyn gasped and tears stung her eyes. “My Lord, I…I…can explain,” she stammered as she clasped her hands before her.

“I have never heard of such a thing before as a woman striking a man in that manner. There is no excuse that will clear your name!” Odin cried before turning to look at his advisors. “Everybody clear this room now! I would speak to my lover in privacy.” The room quickly emptied out, and Odin waited for the door to close behind them before chuckling jovially. “Relax, my wife, I had to put on a good show for them,” he said calmly.

Sigyn’s shoulders slumped and she felt relief wash over her. “My husband, you are unkind!” she cried accusingly. “After what I have been through today…” The tears that had sprung to her eyes a minute before now flowed down her cheeks and she sniffled quietly.

Loki frowned. “Tell me what happened,” he requested gently, reaching out, taking her hand in his, and bring it up to kiss it.

Sigyn launched into her tale about her encounter with Annar that had ended in him going to the healing rooms. “I did not like what he was implying about me, nor did I approve of how he was mistreating our son,” she said in conclusion.

Loki nodded in agreement. “You were well within your rights to do that,” he said a minute later. “It is lucky I was not there or he would most likely be dead now…”

“So you will not throw me in the prisons?” Sigyn asked.

“Not unless you want me to,” Loki quipped.

“No thank you. But, what if Annar or his family makes trouble over this?”

“Then they will have to go up against me.” When his wife smiled at him, Loki felt overwhelmed with desire for her. To have such a wife as her…causing so much trouble in her own way. It was terribly arousing. “My dear, before I allow you to return to our chambers, I must ask a favor of you…” He took her by the hand and pulled her over to him. “I will not be able to think straight until I take you right here…”

Sigyn smiled slyly and sauntered over to the throne, sitting down next to him. “Whatever have I done to deserve such good fortune?” she asked.

“You have been the most beautiful and devious wife a man could ask for, that is what,” Loki replied. “I apologize, however, for I must remain in this guise, in case somebody walks in on us…”

“It matters not,” Sigyn replied as she unbuttoned his breeches. “It is still you no matter how you look…” She leaned in and kissed him heartily, enjoying the daring involved in making love to her husband in such a public place, even though it was currently occupied only by them.

An hour later, Sigyn buttoned up Loki’s clothes, tied her bodice back in place, and slipped off the throne. “Oh, my lover, that was most satisfying,” she said breathlessly.

Loki nodded in agreement. “I should be able to make it through the rest of the day,” he replied. “The things you do to me…I am spent…” Sigyn kissed him once again. “You must go now, and return to our chambers. I have work to do that needs to be done, and the advisors need to be let in again.”

“Very well, my love,” Sigyn replied. “I shall have supper waiting for you when you come home tonight.” As she left the throne room, she alerted the guards to let the advisors back in the throne room. There were no problems as she walked back to her chambers, and the first thing she did upon returning was to hug Iona and reassure her that all was well. “I am not in trouble with the Allfather,” she said. “He merely wished to hear the tale from me.”

“Oh, my lady, I was so worried that he would punish you!” Iona cried. “I could not concentrate on anything!”

Sigyn hugged Iona and kissed her cheeks. “Well, you can put aside your worries and go about your duties now,” she replied. When her maid had gone off in search of items to dust, Sigyn sat down on a bench on the veranda, wrapped in blankets, reading one of Loki’s magic books. She read until it was too cold to stay out of doors, and went inside to prepare supper for her family.

By the time Loki and Vali came home that evening, she had made venison stew and fresh dumplings for their supper and plated it as soon as they sat down. “Mother, you must tell me what happened today!” Vali demanded excitedly. “Did you really beat Annar nearly to death with your bare hands? That’s what everybody is saying. They are saying you are quite a fearsome woman and not to be reckoned with!”

Sigyn laughed and shook her head. With a deep breath, she launched into her tale about the morning’s adventure. When she was done, Vali gazed admiringly at her and smiled. “What a wonder you are!” he declared. “I am lucky to have you as my mother.”

“Now, I want you to be on your guard because of this,” Sigyn instructed. “That family did not like us before and my actions have done nothing to help that. I don’t want any of them to seek vengeance on me through you…”

Vali’s smile faltered and he looked nervously down at his bowl of stew. “Will they come after me?” he asked timidly.

Loki reached out and tussled Vali’s fine golden curls. “Not unless they wish to endure the wrath of the Allfather,” he said lightly. “Do not scare the boy!” he said sharply into his wife’s mind.

“He has the right to know,” Sigyn shot back. “He needs to be prepared and wary.”

Vali was quiet that evening and sat close to his mother’s side as she read stories to him by the hearth. That night, he insisted that she tuck him into bed, and clung to her for a long time after she hugged him. “I do not wish them to seek vengeance,” he whispered in her ear.

“I do not wish them to either, but we must always look out for ourselves,” Sigyn replied. She hated to have scared him so terribly, but it was for his own good. “Asgard is a dangerous realm and there will always be those who wish to attain our levels of power.” She sang him songs until he fell asleep that night and left him with a kiss on his forehead before joining Loki in their sleeping chamber.

“Does he sleep?” Loki asked, looking concerned as Sigyn dressed for bed.

“Yes, finally,” she replied. “I do not wish to frighten him, but he must remember that as prince, his life is always in danger, as are both of ours. We must look out for ourselves.”

They settled into one another’s arms and held tightly to each other. “I will always work to keep us protected,” Loki whispered in his wife’s ear before they fell asleep.

(SCENE)

Nothing happened for a couple weeks, and life returned to normal, for which Sigyn was very grateful. Her position as the king’s lover and the prince’s mother now brought her respect, and nobody thought to challenge her anymore.

Vali’s time in the forges with Kjell was no longer disrupted by Annar or his son. He enjoyed working with the weapons and creating a functional item out of an otherwise useless lump of metal. It excited him to see that he was capable of doing something so important. Kjell gave him no preferential treatment, reserving praise for only when it was due and not hesitating to correct what needed correcting.

Vali had little time for his friends, but still ate his midday meal with them whenever possible. He did his best to behave himself in hopes that he would be allowed to play with Gunndis once more. Once a week, Sigyn set up a time for him to play with Rona or Eira, both of whose company he still quite enjoyed.

One day, a month or so after he had started working there, Vali left the forge after a long afternoon of toiling over the fires, hurrying towards his home in order to wash up and prepare for supper with Rona and his parents. Egil, son of Annar, bounded towards him around the corner and they nearly collided. Egil was nearly double the size and twice Vali’s age, and looked down on him with a frown. Egil had harassed him at the start of his working in the forges but had stopped after Sigyn had attacked Annar. “You ought to watch where you are going,” Egil growled. “Although your family is used to stepping all over everybody, so I oughtn’t to be too surprised.”

Vali took a deep breath and bowed slightly to the older boy. “I apologize, Egil,” he replied. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must be getting home. My mother is expecting me.”

Egil sneered and rolled his eyes. “The king’s whore? She insulted my father and humiliated him. Our entire family deserves vengeance for her actions!” He reached out and punched Vali hard on the shoulder, sending the younger boy flying back into the wall.

Vali scowled and felt anger welling up inside him. “Do not insult my mother!” he cried. “She is not a whore!” He rushed over and pushed the older boy as hard as he could, though Egil did little more than rock back on his heels.

Egil laughed and rolled his eyes again. “You are too tiny to hurt me,” he scoffed. “Run along home to your whore mother…”

Vali’s blue eyes flashed with anger. “Do not call her that again! And it is your sister who was to be the whore. What else do you call throwing your sister into the king’s bed to be deflowered just so you can profit from a higher bride price? You would make a whore out of your own sister just to get rich!”

Egil looked murderous and balled his hands into fists before lunging at Vali. Vali braced himself, and soon the two were throwing punches and kicks at one another. Egil knocked him to the ground and began kicking him in the head and stomach. Vali felt his nose break and blood spilled out onto his face. He coughed and sputtered as the blood filled his mouth and threatened to choke him. Egil let go of him and Vali had a chance to turn over and spit the blood out of his mouth and gasp to catch his breath. He was attempting to stand up when Egil grabbed him from behind and he felt a sharp shooting pain in his back. He cried out in pain and when Egil let go of him, he staggered to his knees. Vali reached back and felt the spot on his back that was the cause of so much pain and felt himself bleeding. With a groan, he turned around and saw Egil with a small knife in his hand.

Vali gaped at him, his hand clasped to his back. The room began to spin and Egil lunged at him again. From deep within him, Vali felt an instinct rise up inside him, telling him how to proceed next. And suddenly a voice called out to him from afar. “Brother! You know what you must do!” He concentrated as hard as he could and watched as his body slowly turned pale blue.

Vali let go of his back and with what little energy he had left, lunged at Egil, grabbing him tightly by the arms, listening to the older boy scream in pain as he burned his flesh with his searing cold skin. Vali growled menacingly, glaring with piercing red eyes into the older boy’s face. “You will _not_ touch me again! If you do, I will kill you!” he growled as Egil collapsed to the floor and didn’t move.

Relief and pain both washed over Vali and as he stepped away from his attacker, he felt his legs give out under him. The world faded to black, and he knew no more.

(SCENE)

Sigyn was busy in the kitchens putting the finishing touches on the roast pork dinner she had prepared for Rona’s visit that night, when she felt a wave of pain crash over her. She took a deep breath, but her heart raced and suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her back. It was excruciating and shocking and she cried out as she dropped the tray of food and fell to her knees. “Vali!” she gasped as women rushed to help her back to her feet. “My son is hurt! I must find him!”

(SCENE)

Loki was seated in the throne room discussing the latest movements of the Jotuns when he felt a shooting pain in his side that took his breath away. He stretched out for a moment, but the pain remained. He tried to concentrate on the topic at hand, but found it difficult to do so. Suddenly, a voice cried out in his mind. “Far! Vali has been attacked! He fights back, but you must go to him! He is outside the forges!”

Odin’s advisors watched as he grimaced and slumped forward for a moment. “My lord, are you well?” his attendant asked, a look of concern on his face.

Odin shook his head. “My son’s son cries out into my mind,” he gasped. “Vali is in danger. I must get to the forges now!” His attendant helped him to his feet and they exited the room, followed quickly by the rest of the advisors.

(SCENE)

The Allfather met Sigyn in the hallway by the forge and together they rushed towards the room. They soon saw two bodies lying on the floor and Sigyn cried out, “Vali!” and ran over to his prone body. “Oh, my son!” She looked down at the wound in his back and screamed, “My son has been stabbed!”

One of Odin’s advisors ran to her side and quickly examined Vali. “My lady, he still breathes,” he said a moment later. “But we must get him to the healing rooms now.” Two advisors joined him and gingerly picked the boy up in their arms, and quickly disappeared around the corner. “The attacker also lives,” the man added a minute later. “He is little more than a boy himself. We must get him to the healing rooms as well.” Two others stepped forward and assisted with that task “My lady, you must come presently to your son’s side,” the advisor said before joining the others on the way out of the hallway.

Odin leaned against the wall, his face ashen and his hands trembling. “How did this happen?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“We shall find out later,” Sigyn replied in a warbling tone. “Let us go to our son,” she whispered. Her heart pounded as they rushed to the healing rooms. Panic welled up inside her, but she refused to give into it. Not until she knew if Vali would be all right.

There was a flurry of activity in the healing rooms when they arrived. The healers would let neither Sigyn nor Odin approach Vali’s bed when he was being tended to. Tears flowed down Sigyn’s cheeks as she watched from afar. Vali looked so small and helpless and was covered entirely in his own blood and she wanted to swoop over to him and hold him in her arms. She clung tightly to Odin’s side and wept.

Loki felt sick to his stomach as he watched his son receive treatment from the healers. He wanted to scream, cry, and tear his hair and clothes, but could do none of those things. He could not even be himself. He held onto Sigyn and took strength from her. Just as he thought he would lose his mind, the door to the room flew open and Nari ran in. “Mor! Allfather! Brynja and I came as soon as we could!” he cried out. “I summoned Heimdall. He is going to contact farbror for us.” Kjell ran into the room a minute later and joined the group as they watched helplessly.

Loki let go of Sigyn and held his arms out to Nari and relished the love he felt emanating from him. He looked over to see Bryja and Sigyn embracing tearfully. The five remained as they were, huddled in the corner of the room, watching Vali fight for his life.

Thor arrived a short time later, and embraced Odin. As much as Loki was loathe to admit it, he was grateful for his brother’s presence, and hugged him for some time before letting go. Thor embraced everybody else in turn afterwards.

A healer finally broke away from Vali’s bed and approached to speak to the family. “He will live,” were the first words out of her mouth. Sigyn let out a shriek and her legs gave out from under her. Brynja caught her and Thor fetched a bench for her to sit on. Nari ran over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as the healer continued. “He has lost a lot of blood, and suffered from a broken nose and several broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung. He also received a stab wound which has destroyed one of his kidneys, but we are replicating one based on his surviving kidney to replace it. It will be ready to harvest and planted in his body in a few hours’ time. He has been stabilized and his minor wounds tended to. It is lucky he was found when he was, or he most likely would have succumbed to the injuries.”

Sigyn began to cry again, though from relief this time. Loki closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. Thor took his arm and squeezed it. “Vali will be well, this is good news father,” he said. Loki nodded, but did not speak for fear of losing what little control he had left.

The healer led Sigyn over to Vali’s bed and let her sit down next to her son. Sigyn took a bowl of warm water and a wash rag and gently cleaned her son off. The bowl of water was quickly tinged red and needed replacing several times before she could clean him off properly. Vali slept the entire time, and she could barely recognize him through the cuts and bruises that covered his body. “Mother, do not fret, I will be well,” his soul spoke into hers. “I was defending you.”

“Vali, my love, you should not have put yourself in such danger on my account,” she replied silently. “I am so relieved you are well, but I fear you have a long and painful convalescence ahead of you.”

“I shall be all right, my mother.” Vali’s hand closest to her was the only part of him not covered in cuts. She picked it up gingerly and covered it in kisses. When she was done, she kept it in hers, and her heart swelled to feel him squeeze hers in return. She sighed and sat back, intending to stay where she was until he was well enough to come home again.

During this time, in another section of the healing rooms, the healers also tended to Egil’s wounds. His parents arrived and were brought to him. Loki overheard the healers speaking to them. “It appears as though the two boys engaged in a fight. Your son stabbed the prince, and then sustained a curious injury of his own. He has burns on both of his arms that have penetrated through to the bone. They seem to be freezing burns and have frozen the marrow and shattered his bones. We will be able to restore him, though he will never have a full range of motion in either arm again.”

Nari overheard this as well and spoke into Loki’s mind. “Far, I watched as Vali turned into his Jotun form. He has never done so before…I believe it saved his life…”

Annar, Egil’s father, surmised as much as well. “The prince’s father was a Jotun, and no doubt passed his treachery onto his son. Look what he did! My son will be a cripple for the rest of his life. I demand vengeance! The house of Loki has ruined us for long enough!”

Loki felt his body grow cold and had to will his Jotun form away. He let go of Nari and folded his arms. He wanted nothing more than to remove the man’s head from his neck, but did not want Nari or Sigyn to witness it.

“What does the Allfather propose to do about my demands?” Annar shouted angrily, making direct eye contact with him.

“I shall do what is my right as king,” Loki growled, taking a step forward towards the man. “When your son awakes, he shall be remanded to the prisons where I shall promptly forget about him.”

Annar’s face grew flushed with anger. “He was defending his family’s honor. He was within his rights!”

Loki took another step forward. “Your son attacked a child half his age. There is no honor in that. Did you give him orders to do this to my son’s son?”

“I did not order it, but I gave my blessing if he chose to freely,” Annar replied defiantly. “Your bastard was nothing but trouble to everybody he met. He instilled this in his widow and sons as well. They are a scourge on Asgard.”

Loki walked with purpose over to Annar and grabbed him by the arm. “Let us speak privately so as not to disturb our recovering children,” he hissed as he dragged the other man out of the room and into the hallway.

When they were alone in the hallway, Annar opened his mouth to protest, but before he got a word out, Loki withdrew a dagger from a hidden pocket in his tunic and plunged it into the man’s heart. “You have insulted my wife and allowed hurt to befall my child, and I cannot permit that to go without retribution,” he whispered in the man’s ear as he watched the life drain out of him. Annar collapsed to his knees and Loki kept the dagger in place until he was quite sure the man was dead before withdrawing it and using a spell to clean the blood from the blade and his hand. He was replacing the dagger back in his pocket when Hela appeared before him.

Hela looked at Annar’s body, which had finally slumped onto the ground, and frowned. “Well, well, _Allfather_ , you are keeping me quite busy, aren’t you?” she said, folding her arms.

“Just doing my part to keep you in business,” Loki said smoothly.

“I thank you…And speaking of which, I must give my condolences to you over the loss of your precious son Loki,” Hela continued. “It was rather curious, actually. I went to gather his soul after hearing word of his passing, but neither his body, nor his soul were on Svartelheim when I arrived…I cannot determine what happened to it…Is that not curious?” She smirked and bent down to draw Annar’s soul from his lifeless body.

Loki in Odin’s guise smirked in response. “Quite curious,” he replied. “I wonder what could have happened to his soul…” At this time, people began to gather around them to see what had happened to Annar. Hela looked into Odin’s eye for a moment before blinking out of the hallway, Annar’s soul in tow. “Clean this up,” he demanded of the people milling around before he rejoined his family in the healing rooms.

Vali was stirring awake when Loki approached his bedside. Sigyn still held one of his hands, so Loki took the other one and squeezed it gently. “I am here, son,” he said quietly into Vali’s mind. “Far is here…”

Vali moaned and squeezed Loki’s hand in response. “Shh, my son, remain calm,” Sigyn said gently, reaching down to soothe his furrowed brow. “Are you in great pain?”

Vali’s eyes remained closed, but tears streamed down his cheeks. He frowned and nodded his head before emitting a strangled wail. He gasped for breath and continued to cry. Sigyn leaned down and hugged him gently, kissing his cheeks and trying to comfort him as best as she could.

Loki felt frantic as he saw his son struggling. “My son’s son is in need of medication!” he called out to the healers. “He is in great pain!”

A kindly-looking healer rushed over to Vali’s bed and began to examine him. “It is the stab site,” she announced a minute later. “I shall prepare a salve for it that shall numb the pain. When we place the new kidney in his body, we will monitor him very carefully for pain, you needn’t worry.” She walked to a table full of dried herbs and began to prepare the salve.

When she was done, Loki helped roll Vali onto his side so the healer could apply the medication onto the wound. “I know, I know,” he murmured as Vali sobbed and wretched in pain. He looked up to see Nari crying sympathetically and Kjell and Brynja standing up to take him out of the room. When the healer had finished, Loki gently set his son down on the bed and breathed deeply. His heart pounded and he felt faintly ill himself. He glanced at his wife’s pale face and frowned.

Sigyn was doing her best to endure the horror of watching her son’s pain, and feeling it, to a small extent. Her breathing was shallow and she could feel the gorge rising in her throat. She couldn’t think anymore, but noticed Odin gesturing to another healer, and the next thing she knew, there was a basin in front of her just in time for her to be sick. The healer who had placed the basin in front of Sigyn, helped her into a bench when she was done being sick. “I am sorry,” she murmured through her tears.

“Do not worry, my lady, it is natural to react this way to a loved one’s plight,” the healer said as she dabbed at Sigyn’s cheeks and forehead with a cool, damp cloth and wiped her tears away. “Vali is doing very well under the circumstances. He will make a full recovery. Hold onto that knowledge, and let it strengthen you.”

Sigyn took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded her head. “I shall do my best to,” she said quietly. “Perhaps it is best if you returned to your chambers, Sigyn,” Odin called out to her. “I can stay with the boy…” Sigyn shook her head and stood up again. “I will not leave his side,” she said so firmly that Loki knew it would be folly to argue with her. She walked back to her son’s bed and sat down next to him. “Mor is here, my love,” she said before taking his hand again. “I won’t be leaving until you are ready to come back home.”

Loki took a deep breath, closed his eye, and held his son’s hand in his own. He never wanted to let go. It was going to be a very long night.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Vali's attack.

Loki and Sigyn stayed with Vali until the healers were ready to replace his failed kidney and they were asked to leave. “He is in safe hands,” a kindly woman said as she escorted them out of the room. “We shall keep you informed of his progress throughout the night.”

Back at their chambers, Kjell, Brynja, and Nari waited anxiously. Nari ran to Sigyn and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face in her tunic and sobbed quietly. She hugged him tightly. Loki, still in Odin’s guise, sat down at the supper table and buried his face in his hands. Thor entered the room and walked over to him. “How fares the boy?” he asked as he sat down next to his father.

“They are putting in his new kidney,” Sigyn called out to him in response. “We were told we will be kept informed of his progress…”

Brynja pushed benches together and ushered Sigyn and Nari to them. Nari settled into his mother’s arms and was soon asleep due to the exhaustion. Iona brought ale and food to everybody and hovered over her mistress, while stealing furtive glances at Brynja, ready to serve her mistress with any of her needs.

Time passed slowly for Sigyn and Loki as they waited for news of their son’s health. Kjell and Thor paced the floor of the main room, in opposite directions, their arms folded and their brows furrowed. Loki joined Sigyn and Nari on the bench, and Sigyn leaned against him for support.

After a couple hours, there was a knock on the door and Iona rushed over to open it. A healer entered the room and approached the bench the family was seated upon. “My lord and lady, I come bearing good news,” the young man said with a smile brightening his features and the room. “Vali has pulled through and is doing valiantly. He sleeps now and we are monitoring his pain levels. He has a long convalescence ahead of him, but in a month or two, he shall be completely recovered.”

Sigyn sighed before bursting into tears. Nari stirred and looked concerned, but Loki hugged him and told him about Vali. Nari hugged his mother again. “This is joyous news, mor. Shed no more tears,” he whispered in her ear.

“Oh, my son, they are tears of joy,” she explained before kissing his cheeks.

After the healer left, the group decided it was time to sleep, finally. Kjell returned to his own chambers. Thor and Brynja went to spare chambers, and Nari, Loki, and Sigyn retired to Odin’s sleeping chamber.

Loki had transformed himself back into his normal form by the time they lay down in the bed, and Nari wedged himself in between his parents. He held their hands as they drifted off to sleep.

Late the next morning, Loki and Sigyn awoke and smiled down at the sleeping shape beneath their bed sheets. “Let him rest,” Loki spoke into his wife’s mind before leaning in to kiss her gently. “I must break my fast and prepare for the day, but I will visit Vali before going to the throne room.”

Sigyn nodded her head and settled back in next to Nari, enjoying the warmth and love radiating from him. “I shall wait for him and we will go together,” she called back to Loki’s mind as he dressed.

“I do not want you to go alone,” he replied. “There is likely to be more trouble from this. I have work to do today to clean up this mess…Make sure Thor escorts you to the healing rooms.”

Sigyn frowned and snuggled closer to Nari. “Can you contain this?”

“I may have to imprison or exile some people, but yes.” He saw her fear and walked over to kiss her again before leaving the room. “Trust me…”

Nari stirred awake a short time later and smiled up at his mother. “Vali and I talked all night long,” he revealed as he sat up in the bed. “He feels much better now, but he still has many cuts and bruises and they sting him.”

“We will go see him after we have eaten,” Sigyn said as he left the room. Iona entered as he left, and helped her to dress for the day.

“My lady, I am so happy to hear of Vali’s recovery,” Iona said quietly as she brushed Sigyn’s long, fine hair.

“Thank you, my dear,” Sigyn replied with a smile.

“Will your other son and his foster mother be staying long?” Iona asked casually.

Sigyn reached back and grabbed Iona’s hand in hers, squeezing it lovingly. “I’m sure they will only be here a day or two, so you needn’t worry.”

Iona sighed with relief. “I am glad of that, my lady,” she replied before going back to brushing Sigyn’s hair.

When Sigyn was ready, they left the room and Iona prepared a plate of food for her to break her fast. Nari was still eating and they enjoyed the meal together.

Sigyn had just finished her meal when Thor returned from the dining halls to escort them to the healing rooms. “Thor, I am so glad to see you again,” she said as they walked side-by-side through the corridors. “How goes it with your Jane?”

Thor smiled fondly. “It goes well,” he replied.

Sigyn had always enjoyed Thor’s presence and hadn’t seen him since before her stay on Midgard. A flash of her passionate night spent with him passed through her mind. She had enjoyed his presence the most that night…many times…She hoped that Jane was enjoying the pleasures he was capable of giving to a woman. She glanced at him and saw him looking down at her. The wistful look on his face told her that he too was recalling their lovemaking as well, but he quickly cleared his throat and looked away from her.

Nari took her hand and began pulling her through the halls. “Come on, mor!” he cried. “I wish to see my brother now!”

Sigyn laughed and jogged next to her son and they arrived a minute later, Thor joining them at the entrance. She could see Vali sitting up in his bed with a tray of food on his lap. He grinned and waved at them as Nari came bounding over to him. “Brother!” Nari cried before jumping up on the bed and settling down next to Vali. They hugged until Sigyn reached them and Vali pulled away from him to embrace her.

“Oh, my love, I am so happy to see you sitting up and eating,” she said as tears filled her eyes.

“I look dreadful, do I not?” Vali asked lightly, looking down at his bruised arms. “I shall have scars, no doubt.”

“You look like you were squished by a bilgesnipe,” Nari added.

“I feel like I was,” Vali admitted.

“You have fought your first battle valiantly, and have triumphed,” Thor said, smiling sympathetically. “Your father would have been quite proud of you.”

Vali bit his lip and looked appropriately melancholy. “I hope so,” he replied.

Thor reached down and gently tussled his brorson’s hair. “I too am proud of you.”

Vali smiled. “Thank you, farbror,” he replied. “I have missed you terribly.”

As the group erupted into excited chatter, Sigyn sat down next to Vali and fed him bites of food, determined to help him in any possible way. “Mother, I am not a child,” he said at one point through a stuffed mouth.

“Yes you are,” Sigyn corrected. “And you must eat well so that you will heal quickly. It takes a lot of food to heal.”

Vali launched into his harrowing tale of the fight with Egil and explained how he had turned into his Jotun form after being stabbed. “I still do not care for my Jotun half, but I think it is what saved my life,” he concluded.

“I dare say it did,” Sigyn agreed with a shiver. “You also managed to inflict quite a bit of damage on your attacker. You should be proud that you were able to defend yourself so well.”

Vali smiled and took the last bit of oatmeal mush that Sigyn held out to him. One of the healers removed the empty tray for them and Sigyn leaned over and hugged her son again. She fretted over him, fluffing his pillows, wiping down his bedding of imaginary dust and crumbs, and brushing his hair. “Mother, please, I am fine,” he insisted when she tried to wash his face with a rag.

Nari laughed at his brother’s plight. “Mor, he is fine, I can tell,” he said, trying to come to his brother’s aid.

Sigyn was about to protest when the door to the healing rooms opened with a crash and all of Vali’s friends, headed by Gunndis, ran over to his bed. “Oh, Vali! We heard what happened,” she bellowed as she walked to his bed and sat down at the foot of it. “We had to come see you.”

Vali was soon surrounded by his friends, including Rona and Eira, who fawned over him in turns. Sigyn was quickly displaced by the young people trying to take a look at his injuries, and soon went to stand next to Thor. “It appears I am no longer needed,” she said with a frown. “I had intended to sit with him all day, but…”

Thor laughed and put his arm around her shoulder. “Come, my sister, let us visit the dining halls and leave the youngsters to themselves. The healers will make sure he comes to no harm,” he said with a smile.

“Very well, but I must say farewell first,” Sigyn replied before approaching the bed and kissing each of her sons on the cheek. The other children giggled quietly as she left.

Thor escorted her through the halls to the dining hall. “I have missed your company,” he said as they walked. “I heard from Fandral that you have become my father’s lover…It is good that he can find comfort in your pleasures. He is a good man, and has been much consumed with grief since my mother died. It is very generous of you to do this for him…”

“I was a grieving widow with my own needs as well,” Sigyn reminded him. “We are able to comfort one another, and I am happy to give myself to him.”

Thor smiled wistfully and she knew exactly what memories he was thinking of. “Just as we comforted one another so long ago…” he said quietly. Sigyn smiled but didn’t say anything in response. “If you were not my father’s lover, I would offer to become yours,” Thor said earnestly.

“And what about your Midgardian woman?”

“Jane is wonderful, and we are very much in love,” Thor replied. “But that does not mean we could not be lovers as well.”

“Midgardians are more possessive of their mates, I believe,” Sigyn replied. “I would not wish to create strife between you and Jane.”

Thor nodded. “That is wise, I suppose,” he replied as they approached the dining hall. Once seated, he turned his attention to Fandral and Volstagg, while the Lady Sif peppered Sigyn with questions about Vali’s condition.

“He is well enough for visitors today,” Sigyn replied before explaining about the arrival of his friends. “Nari will enjoy seeing everybody as well, I suppose.”

“I am glad he is well,” Sif replied with a shake of her head. “Vali proved himself yesterday, and all of Asgard knows it. He is not to be trifled with. This will do him well when he is king.”

Sigyn dished herself up a bowl of soup for her midday meal. “I have never been more terrified in my entire life,” she confessed while she ate. “I have been in situations where I was frightened for myself, but it is far worse to be scared for your child’s safety. To see him on the ground, motionless, bloodied…I…” Tears sprang to her eyes and she set down her spoon in order to bury her face in her hands. She sobbed and Sif tried to comfort her by patting her shoulder sympathetically, but the sobbing continued until Thor got up from his seat and sat down next to her. He wrapped his strong arms around her and held her close to him while she cried. “My son almost died!” she cried. “What if we hadn’t gotten there in time? What if that other boy had stabbed him more than once? Or in a worse place? I cannot bear to think of it and yet I cannot stop dwelling on it!”

Brynja had been visiting with some of her friends in the dining halls and noticed Sigyn. She rushed over to help. “My lady, let us go back to your chambers and we shall have a long talk,” she said, holding her hand out to her. “Let us leave Thor to spend time with his friends.”

Sigyn took Brynja’s hand and thanked Thor for his kindness before leaving with Brynja. Once back in her chambers, Iona hurried over to them. “My lady, what has happened? Has Vali suffered a complication?”

Brynja guided Sigyn into her sleeping chamber and helped her to sit down on the bed. “She is distraught from the memories of last night,” Brynja explained to Iona. “Perhaps between the two of us, we could comfort her…”

Iona walked over and threw her arms around Sigyn. “My lady, Vali is safe now,” she murmured. “He fares well and will continue to grow stronger every day.”

Brynja sat down next to Sigyn and rubbed her back and shoulders, trying to relax her. “My lady, Iona is right. It does not do to dwell on what-ifs. Your son is well, and that is all that matters.”

Sigyn’s sobs began to grow quieter and she let the two women stroke her hair and kiss her cheeks in comfort. After a while, her crying ceased and she sighed deeply. Iona reached over with a handkerchief and wiped the tears off her cheeks. Sigyn lay back on her bed and sighed again when the other women followed suit. “You two are so kind to me,” she said quietly as she reached out with one hand and stroked Iona’s silky blonde hair. After a minute, she reached over and ran her fingers through Brynja’s honey blonde locks. “I could ask for none better than you both.”

Each woman took her turn leaning down and kissing Sigyn. Sigyn, for her part, sat back and enjoyed their attention. She had been nervous about Iona and Brynja meeting, but both seemed to find a comfortable rhythm, and the three made love well into the afternoon. Sigyn felt comforted, stronger, and relaxed when they were done. “I thank you both,” she said breathlessly as they dressed once again.

“It is the least we can do for you, my love,” Brynja said as she buttoned her tunic. “You have been through quite a fright, and have only the comforting arms of the Allfather to turn to now…”

Iona wrinkled her nose and laughed lightly. “Do be honest, my lady, what sort of a lover is the Allfather? He is so very old…”

Sigyn laughed and put her slippers on. “He does well enough, for a man of his advanced years,” she replied. “But I am very lucky to have lovers like you two as well…”

The three women soon launched into tales about the shortcomings of their male lovers and dissolved into peals of laughter by the end. “But he is a Midgardian, how could he be expected to go more than once in an evening?” Iona cried.

“You would be surprised,” Brynja replied with a grin. “Bruce has great stamina for a Midgardian…”

“You are making me regret not taking him as a lover when I was there,” Sigyn said jokingly.

Brynja laughed. “I am glad you did not.”

“I too am glad you did not,” Loki called out to Sigyn’s mind. “You and your lovers are being entirely too brazen, my Sjalsfrande.”

“Oh, you like it when I am brazen,” she called back.

“Will you be brazen with me when I return home tonight?”

“Perhaps, if Nari is not in our bed.”

“I shall send the boy to his old sleeping chambers and then you will be brazen with me. We have much to celebrate, for Vali is well again.”

“Vali is on the path to recovery, but he is still in the healing room,” Sigyn replied. “I shall not rest easily until he is back home with us.”

“You do not need to rest easily, you just need to be brazen with me…”

“My husband, this is not the time for joking!”

“Be calm, my wife, I too have been through a difficult couple of days and need to relax.”

“Then tonight we shall relax together. Now, leave my mind so that I might enjoy the rest of my time with Brynja and Iona…”

“Very well, my love, I shall see you tonight.”

Sigyn ate a late midday meal once she had left her sleeping chamber, and returned to Vali’s bedside when she had finished. His friends had left, and Nari had gone with them, and Vali was sleeping peacefully. She leaned down and kissed his forehead before sitting down next to him and taking his hand in hers. She examined his face and noted that the swelling was beginning to go down, but he was still terribly bruised. Her heart ached to think that somebody had done this to her child. He was hardly more than an infant in her eyes.

“He is doing very well,” a healer said in a whisper as he came over to look in on them. “His friends kept him company for several hours, but when he grew tired, we asked them to leave him in peace. His brother left with them.”

“When will he be well enough to come home again?” Sigyn asked quietly.

“We’ll need to keep him with us for a few more days, until the kidney is functioning fully and his pain levels are under control without the need for heavy medication.”

Sigyn smiled down at her sleeping child. “My son is a warrior,” she said with pride. “He will come back home very soon.” She continued to sit by Vali, listening to him breathe while he slept.

Nari returned an hour or so later and joined Sigyn in her vigil. They talked silently while Vali slept. Nari was terribly proud of his brother and had spent the day bragging about him to everybody who would listen. “All of Asgard knows of Vali’s bravery and I was told on several occasions that they are glad he is to be king one day. They feel he will be good for the realm.”

Sigyn smiled and nodded. “He will be good for Asgard, just as you will be good for Midgard,” she replied.

Nari smiled sheepishly. “I shall do my best for my adopted realm.”

Vali woke up when a healer arrived with a tray of food for his supper. “Mor, you came back,” he murmured as she helped him to sit up.

“Of course I came back, my love,” she said after adjusting the pillow behind his back. “You were having such fun with your friends, I did not wish to get in the way. But they have gone to their homes now, so I returned.” She fed him from his tray while he sat back and didn’t protest. She thought he looked exhausted even though he had slept for so long. “How do you feel?” she asked in between feeding him bites of food.

“Better than I did yesterday,” he said with a wan smile. “I am very tired. I feel as though I cannot even lift my arms. Perhaps tonight you could read me a story?”

“I would love to.” Sigyn smiled and felt the warmth of being loved and needed by her children wash over her.

That night, Nari insisted on sleeping in a bed next to his brother, so Sigyn sat in between them and read stories until they fell asleep. After kissing both of them and tucking them in, she returned to her chambers, where Loki, in Odin’s form, was waiting for her by the hearth.

“Is Vali well?” he asked as she joined him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“He is improving rapidly,” Sigyn replied as she rubbed her husband’s neck. “He and Nari are together, so we have the evening to ourselves. Why don’t we go to your chambers where you can return to your proper form?”

Loki smiled and nodded before standing up and taking her hand. He led her to his sleeping chamber and quickly changed into himself again. He leaned down to kiss Sigyn, and helped her to undress. When they were both unclothed, they slipped into bed, and entwined themselves together. They did not make love, but savored the feel of the other’s body pressed to theirs. Sigyn ran her fingers up and down her husband’s stomach and chest before smiling. “My love, I know you do not like your Jotun form,” she said, daring to broach a taboo subject for him. “But I have never been so happy that you passed it onto our children as I am now. I believe it saved Vali’s life when he transformed. Not only did it give him the strength and ability to ward off his attacker, but the cooler body temperature helped stop his injury from bleeding too much. I shall always be grateful for your Jotun form…”

Loki reached down and took her hand in his, thinking about her words. This was the first time he’d ever seen a good side to his shameful heritage. “I do not think I shall ever be proud of my Jotun blood, but I can be grateful for it in this one instance.”

Sigyn leaned in and kissed her husband as he wrapped his arm around her hips and held her close to him once again. He was silent for a while again as they were both lost in their own thoughts. “When Vali recovers fully, I will officially name him as the heir,” he said. “He is ready.”

Sigyn gazed into her husband’s eyes. “Our son will be king one day, I cannot comprehend it,” she murmured.

“We made a king when we conceived our son,” Loki replied, smiling as well. “It is a powerful thought.” He kissed her gently and brushed his hand against her. “Yours is a blessed womb, my Sjalsfrande. Truly blessed.”

Sigyn sighed as Loki settled in on top of her. She ignored the pang of sadness that Loki would not bless her womb again with more children, and focused on enjoying the sensation of him making love to her instead.

When they had finished, she settled back into his arms and they talked quietly about the last couple of days. “It is good to see your brother again,” Sigyn said. “The boys adore him so.”

Loki snorted softly. “I heard his conversation with you as he escorted you to see Vali this morning. He has some nerve offering to take you as his lover…”

“He was merely taking pity on a widow, that is all,” Sigyn replied. “You needn’t worry, my Sjalsfrande. I will never stray from you again.” Loki wrapped his arms around her again, this time possessively. “Oh, my love…Do not waste a single moment fretting over it.” She reached up with one hand and traced her fingertips along his jawline. “What I did lasted only one single night, and I was lonely and missing you so badly, and I was silly to give into it.”

“But you enjoyed it,” Loki murmured. “I could feel your memories today. You remembered them with great fondness…”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “Just because I remember it with fondness, does not mean I will partake in it again.” She kissed him tenderly and smiled as he rested his head against her breasts. “I am perfectly satisfied with you and Iona and Brynja. I will never take another man into my bed. I promise this to you. My fidelity to you will never waver.” She gently rubbed his temples and ran her fingertips up and down his arms. “You are my husband, now and for all time. Nothing will ever change that.”

Loki felt the nervous fluttering in his stomach dissipate to hear her words. He knew it would utterly destroy him if Thor ever took Sigyn from him. He continued to hold her until they drifted off to sleep.

(SCENE)

The next morning, after Loki had transformed into Odin’s body and left for the throne room, Sigyn broke her fast alone in their living chambers. Thor came into the room part way through her meal and joined her at the table. “My sister, you look wonderful this morning,” he said in greeting while she prepared a plate of food for him.

“I feel wonderful,” she replied with a smile as she handed him the plate. “Vali is on his way to recovery, and Nari is visiting. I feel very happy.”

“I am glad Vali is going to be better,” Thor replied in between bites of food. He quickly changed the subject to inform her about his warrior friends and life on Midgard and Jane.

Sigyn listened politely until they had finished their meal. “Well, I should work on plans for dinner tonight,” she said before walking to the hearth and picking up a quill and piece of paper to write on. “The Allfather has been wanting a roast chicken lately…”

Thor smiled and followed her over to the hearth. He sat down next to her and placed his hand on her knee. “Little Sigyn,” he said lightly. “You have been through so much these past few days, and I cannot imagine the Allfather is capable of pleasuring you the way I did that night so long ago…I have missed the feel of your soft little body beneath mine, our arms and legs entwined…” He moved his hand further up her leg, gripping her thigh tightly. He placed his other hand on one of her breasts and leaned in to kiss her. Sigyn pulled back from him, but he moved his hand from her thigh and wrapped it around her neck, keeping her from moving too far from him.

Sigyn tried to struggle out of Thor’s grip, but he was stronger than she was. She finally had to use a mild pain spell to fight him off, and when he let go of her and doubled over to regain his composure, she reached out and slapped him soundly on the cheek. “Thor Odinson, what has gotten into you? Have you been at the ale this early in the morning?” she cried, standing up and moving away from him. “I told you yesterday that I am not interested in becoming your lover. I am happy with your father and you are behaving despicably. I would like you to leave this room now and we will pretend that this did not happen.” She pointed to the door and frowned. “Please go or I shall have to summon one of the guards and have you escorted out.”

“But we could have an afternoon of pleasures while the Allfather is in the throne room…He need not find out…” Thor said in a reasonable tone.

“But I would know,” Sigyn replied. “The answer is no, now, please go.”

Thor sighed, and frowned. “I apologize, Sigyn,” he said quietly. “I shall leave you alone from now on.” With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Sigyn alone to her thoughts.

As Thor walked down the hallway, towards the throne room, he smiled to himself, feeling very proud of Sigyn. Quickly, he transformed back into Odin’s guise, so he could go about his duties as king for the day. It was very reassuring to know that his wife truly was trustworthy…

(SCENE)

Thor, Nari, and Brynja stayed for two more days until Brynja informed Sigyn that they had to return to Midgard. “Nari’s schooling is starting again after its Christmas respite,” she said sadly at the midday meal. “We must return home tomorrow.”

Sigyn’s heart quickened to think of her son leaving again, but knew it was for the best. “And you must miss Bruce as well,” she replied as lightly as possible.

Brynja smiled wistfully. “I do, terribly,” she patted Sigyn’s hand. “But I shall miss you terribly as well. I feel better though, knowing that Iona’s here to see to your needs. She is a lovely girl.”

Sigyn wrapped her fingers through Brynja’s. “We still have one more day left,” she replied. Nari was playing with friends, so she didn’t feel neglectful of him when she and Brynja slipped out of the dining halls and hurried to her sleeping chamber to partake in one another’s pleasures for one final afternoon. Iona left them to themselves, as Sigyn had informed her of Brynja’s impending departure.

That evening, Sigyn insisted on making a special pizza supper for Nari’s last night. She carried a tray full of “pizza bread” to the healing rooms and shared the meal with both of her children. Vali was excited to have his favorite food after several days of eating oatmeal mush and toast. “Mother, it is delicious as always,” he declared in between bites.

“It is wonderful, mor,” Nari added as he reached out for another piece.

“I am glad you like it,” Sigyn replied.

That night, Nari slept next to Vali one final time, and Sigyn read them stories until they fell asleep. She slept in a bed on the other side of Vali, determined to stay near both her sons that night.

The morning dawned and Loki, in Odin’s form, joined his family in the dining hall as they broke their fast. He hated to see Nari leave, and that he could not say his farewell properly, but had to do it in a disguise. Nari hugged him heartily nonetheless. “I love you far,” he spoke into Loki’s mind.

“My son, my first born…I love you too,” he said in return. “Make me proud of you. You already have, but keep up all of your good work.” He embraced Nari and smiled when the boy threw his arms around him in response.

After arriving at Heimdall’s station, Sigyn kissed Nari many times before letting go of him and watching him walk over to Brynja. “Take care of my son,” she called out to her as Heimdall began to transport them back to Midgard. When they had disappeared from sight, she burst into tears and threw herself into Loki’s arms. Loki held her for a couple minutes until she calmed down again.

Vali walked over, took her hand, and squeezed it encouragingly. “Mother, he is happy. That is what matters most, right?” he said.

Sigyn leaned down and hugged him gently, for he was still in a delicate condition. “I know he is,” she replied. “I just miss him so much.” She straightened up and smiled wanly. “And now, let us get you back to bed, for you have been on your feet for too long.” She placed her arm around Vali’s shoulders and started to guide him back towards the palace.

“But mother, I feel fine,” Vali protested.

“No, you must do as the healers advise,” Sigyn replied. “Back into bed for you.”

Vali glanced over at his father, who walked beside them. “Father…” he called out imploringly.

“Your mother is right, my child,” he replied. “You must rest and continue to recover your health.”

Vali sighed and walked with them silently, knowing it was pointless to continue fighting them. “Can some of my friends visit with me at least?” he finally asked.

“I can see if Rona or Eira can visit,” Sigyn offered. “You do seem to like all the attention they give you.”

Vali blushed and looked down at his feet while they walked. “I should like to see them,” he said quietly.

Sigyn settled him into his bed and handed him one of Loki’s magic books before sending word to Eira and Rona’s mothers. Rona was busy with her mathematics instruction, but Eira could be spared by her mother, and came over to spend time with Vali.

Sigyn made sure they kept his chamber door open and peeked in on them from time to time, to make sure nothing inappropriate was going on. Eira was sitting next to Vali and doting upon him while he looked as mournful and helpless as possible.

“Vali, you really are the bravest boy I ever knew,” Eira said admiringly. “Defending your mother’s honor the way you did…”

“I was frightened, but I knew I had to do something,” Vali replied. “It is difficult to be scared, but to fight anyway, is very important to do.”

Eira nodded in agreement and took his hand in hers. “It is, you are such a hero,” she said quietly. “You will be a wonderful king one day. I will be proud to have you rule over me.”

“I will try to always be worthy of your respect,” Vali said.

Eira glanced over towards the door to make sure Sigyn was not there before leaning over and pressing her lips to his. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but Vali felt like it lasted an eternity. His heart pounded and he felt his palms begin to sweat in response. “Vali Lokison, you are already worthy of my respect, and my love,” she whispered in his ear before sitting up in her seat again.

Sigyn came into the room a few minutes later with a tray of food for them. “Now, Eira, I am trusting you to ensure that Vali eats a hearty midday meal,” she said with a smile.

“Yes, my lady, I shall make certain that he does,” Eira replied seriously. When Sigyn left the room, she handed Vali a plate of food. “You must eat it all.”

Vali sat up gingerly and accepted the plate. “I shall do my best,” he replied.

“If you eat it all, I shall give you another kiss,” Eira whispered.

Vali blushed and began to eat. He was determined to eat every morsel on his plate.

Eira left later that afternoon, and he was two kisses richer than he’d been the day before.

Over the next month, Vali’s strength began to return. He was allowed to join his father in the throne room, once again, but he was not able to do his physical training or return to the forges. He spent more time with his friends, and Gunndis was part of his group once more. Since Vali’s attack, she had started behaving better, and Sigyn had allowed her to join in once again.

Sigyn was happy with her son’s progress. His strength had returned and he was nearly ready to begin his weapons training and start riding his horse again. He was happy and healthy, and it seemed to her that all was right in the world once more.

(SCENE)

Six months after Vali’s attack and recovery, Odin announced to the realm that he was naming him as the official heir to his throne. “My son’s son will make an ideal ruler of Asgard and all the Nine Realms,” he said to the gathering who had been called into the throne room to witness the occasion. “He has proven himself to be worthy of all that being king entails.”

Vali, dressed in his fanciest clothing, bowed before Odin and accepted the helm of wrought silver, fashioned into the shape of a thin, reedy snake, coiled about his head. Kjell had designed and made it himself, and fixed about the snake’s eyes, red jewels that glittered in the light.

When the crown was placed upon his head, he turned and bowed to the crowd. “Prince Vali!” they cried out, applauding and crying out blessings, and congratulatory messages. Sigyn, standing next to him in her finest gown, tried not to cry, but felt proud for her son. He had grown taller again, and now stood nearly as tall as she was. When he was finished bowing to the crowd, he turned and bowed to her. “My mother,” he said with a smile. “Do not shed tears today.” He embraced her and kissed her cheek.

Sigyn beamed down at her son. “I will save them for tonight,” she promised.

One of the older women in the crowd looked into Sigyn’s eyes before crying out, “All hail Queen Sigyn, blessed mother of the future king!” Sigyn bowed before the crowd, and enjoyed hearing their applause.

News of Odin’s announcement spread quickly throughout all of Asgard, and within days, gifts for the newly-announced heir began to arrive from far and wide. He was sent cloth, animals, food, and other items as tribute.

“Now, do not let this go to your head, my love,” Sigyn said one morning as servants cleared a path for them to walk through to the breakfast table. Boxes and presents scattered the floor of the entire room. “These are tributes, and they will not last forever.”

“I know, mother,” Vali replied as he picked up an apple from a crate and bit into it. “But it is enjoyable while it lasts.”

They joined Loki at the breakfast table, and sat down next to him. “Such tributes,” he said boastfully as they looked around the room. “Thor never received such fine things as this…You are truly beloved by the people of Asgard, Vali.” Loki loved seeing how popular his son was. To know that others saw the value and greatness of his child was wonderful to him.

“Thank you, Allfather,” Vali replied humbly while Sigyn served him a plate of sausages and eggs. “It is exciting and nerve-wracking to be in everyone’s sights right now. I hope I remain worthy of it.”

“I have no doubt you will continue to grow and learn and become a just and great king,” Sigyn said. “You still have many years before you shall be king. The Allfather will decide when you are ready.”

“I shall be glad for the time,” Vali replied.

“Enjoy your youth while it lasts, my child,” Sigyn said. “For it shall be over with all too soon. You have a life of responsibility ahead of you. Do not forget to enjoy your life now.”

“I will mother, do not fret.”


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The years pass and Vali and Nari become men grown. Sigyn makes a marriage contract for Vali.

The years did indeed pass quickly for Vali, and before anybody knew it, he was the same age Sigyn and Loki had been they had wedded. No such responsibilities came to him, and he enjoyed his youth as much as he had been encouraged to by his parents.

The previous year, Vali had moved out of his parents’ home and into his own set of rooms, staffed by servants to care for all his needs. He enjoyed the freedom it entailed, but Sigyn missed him terribly and had taken to her bed again for a few weeks as she mourned the loss of her child living at home.

Loki had once again been at a loss to help his wife with her pain. “My love, there is so much for you to do now that you don’t have children who need your help,” he said to her one night.

Sigyn, looking up at her husband from their bed, burst into tears at that. “How could you say such a thing to me, my husband?” Tears streamed down her face. “I have no more use now that the children have left the house. I might as well throw myself off the Bifrost!”

Loki frowned and narrowed his eyes. “Do not ever jest about that, my wife,” he growled. “Your life is not over and you will not throw yourself off of anything!”

Sigyn sobbed for a minute before shaking her head. “I know not what to do,” she said quietly. “I feel so lost now…”

Loki sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. “My Sjalsfrande, you are a wonderful woman, and have much to offer to Asgard. It is ripe for the picking, you have only to choose what to do, and the path will be laid out for you.” He kissed her cheek and frowned again, feeling concerned for her wellbeing.

Sigyn curled up against him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I just feel that I have no purpose now,” she replied. “My days shall be so long now, with no children to attend to.”

Loki hugged her tightly. “Perhaps you can devote more time to your garden,” he suggested. “You know the foods you brought back from Midgard have become very popular.”

“Maybe,” she said slowly, thinking about it. “I need more space so I can grow more and if I have more space, I shall not be able to keep it up by myself…”

“Well, perhaps I could assign you servants to help. Since this is to benefit all of Asgard, it is only fitting that more people should help out. I will see to it that the planting council allots you as much land as you deem necessary.”

Sigyn smiled at the thought, feeling excited for the first time in a while. “Do you think the council will mind having a woman in charge of so much?” she asked.

Loki leaned down and kissed her before responding. “It matters not, even if they do, for they must do as I command them,” he said. “But I do not anticipate there being any problems, for you have become a quite feared woman. After the incident with Annar, Asgardian men now fear you shall break the jaw of any who stand in your way…” He smiled at that. “Do you know how exciting it is to be married to a woman who strikes fear in the hearts of men?”

Sigyn grinned and rolled her eyes. “But not your heart?” she asked as she brushed her fingers across his chest.

Loki shook his head. “I love you too much to fear you,” he replied.

Sigyn kissed her husband. “Well, as long as you do not anger me too badly, you need never fear me,” she replied lightheartedly.

“Are you saying that you would break my jaw if I angered you?” Loki asked, looking incredulous.

Sigyn shrugged. “Probably not, but one never knows what one might do in the heat of the moment…”

“Well, I shall have to make sure I am always on my best behavior around you,” Loki replied with a shake of his head.

Sigyn smiled at him seductively. “I don’t know about that,” she said in a sultry tone. “I do like it when you are naughty with me…” She reached out and began to unbutton his tunic. “Perhaps you could be naughty right now?”

Loki grinned before moving around to face her. As he not-so-gently pushed her down onto their bed, he whispered, “See, here is one advantage to Vali living on his own, we needn’t worry about him walking in on us…”

“Perhaps you are right, my husband,” Sigyn replied as he stripped her of her clothing. “I might adjust to it after all…”

Loki helped his wife adjust to it all evening before they fell asleep in one another’s arms.

(SCENE)

Sigyn began to spend more time in her garden after that point and was granted more land to use. She was also given a few servants to help her with planting, weeding, and harvesting. Having important work to keep her occupied helped her to get used to not having Vali at home anymore.

She visited him often in his new home and made sure the servants were keeping it neat and clean, and that he was well-fed. Vali welcomed his mother every time she arrived, with a hug and a kiss on her cheek. She would examine him as though she had not seen him in many years. “Are you well, my love? Are you getting enough to eat? Would you like me to prepare a plate of food?” She pressed her hands to his ribs and frowned. “You are all skin and bones, my son…Are you eating?”

Vali laughed and nodded. “I am very well, mother, and I eat a lot every day, so you needn’t worry. I am just growing, that is all.”

“You might be taller than your father soon,” Sigyn replied. “You have outgrown me already.” Vali was growing into a tall, strong man. Sigyn thought he was terribly handsome, and knew the maidens did as well, for she watched them as they paraded around his table in the dining halls, preening themselves in hopes of catching his eye.

“I shall never truly outgrow you, mother,” Vali replied affectionately.

“Oh, you will be married with children of your own soon enough and will have no more need of me,” Sigyn replied. “But, it is as it should be. This is the way of life.”

Vali hugged his mother again. “Come mother, let us go to the dining halls and I shall let you prepare a plate of food for me as though I was a young child still,” he offered, taking her by the arm and leading her toward the door.

“Very well, my son,” Sigyn replied. “We can see how many maidens try to catch your eye tonight…”

Vali chuckled and shut the door behind him. As they walked to the dining halls, he kept Sigyn occupied with a rousing discussion about the maidens so she wouldn’t notice Eira as she slipped out the door and ran back to her home unnoticed. (

SCENE)

The friends Vali had made in his childhood had continued to be his friends over the years. His shy, budding romance with Eira as a nervous eleven year old had continued to grow as they’d gotten older. When it became clear that he and Eira were bound to become lovers, he sought out the help of one of Volstagg’s daughters who was a few years older than he, and had a reputation of being a talented lover. From her he learned how to be a good lover, and felt confident when Eira announced to him that she was ready to lay with him.

Vali had deflowered Eira one evening in his sleeping chamber after he’d dismissed the servants for the night. They had been nearly sixteen years old when they became intimate. Vali felt as though he had never known such feelings of love before and that nobody could understand it. The complexity and depth were that great.

When they had completed their act of lovemaking, he collapsed in Eira’s arms and caught his breath. “I shall never love a girl as much as I love you,” he said a few minutes later.

Several months after becoming lovers with Eira, Alaric, Volstagg’s son, caught his eye in a way he had never noticed before. They had always been great friends, even though Alaric was older than him by a few years. It didn’t take long for him to explore these feelings and discover that Alaric felt the same for him. They became lovers on the night of his sixteenth birthday. Eira was with them, and lay with Vali as well.

The three swiftly became deeply entwined with one another. Vali felt completed by Eira and Alaric and wished to have them in his life always. He could see himself sitting on the throne of Asgard, with Alaric on one side, and Eira on the other. Eira, of course, would bear his children. She would become the mother of the next king when his own reign ended.

After their couplings, the three lovers would lie in Vali’s bed, arms and legs entwined, and would talk about the future. “You will be my husband and wife,” Vali said in a quiet voice.

The only argument was over Alaric’s desire to father an heir as well. “How am I to have an heir if I have not a wife of my own?” he asked, sounding exasperated one evening.

“I shall bear both of you a child,” Eira promised. “Vali’s first, so the throne is secured, and then I shall bear yours.”

“I suppose that would work,” Alaric replied.

Vali had given little thought to what his parents might think of this arrangement, but he was soon to find out. Asgardian servants were wont to gossip, and it didn’t take long for his servants to inform Sigyn’s servants of the company he was keeping and the sincerity of his feelings for both of his lovers.

“My lady, it is said that Vali wishes to marry both of them and that Eira will bear both of their children,” Iona said one day while the women sat on a bench mending clothes.

“Vali is not yet a man grown, he cannot make such decisions yet,” Sigyn replied with a frown. She had sensed that he had begun to enjoy the pleasures of the maidens, but had no idea it had gotten that serious. “I shall speak to him about this.”

Sigyn summoned Vali to her the next day to talk. He entered his old family home, and smiled upon seeing her. “Mother, you look well today,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. He had long outgrown her. “What did you wish to speak to me about?”

Sigyn hugged her son before leading him to a bench and sitting down next to him. “My son, I must ask you if the rumors I have been hearing are true,” she said in a serious tone. “Have you taken two lovers with the intent of being wedded to both? You cannot go behind my back on such matters, for you know it is my responsibility to form a marriage contract for you.”

Vali frowned and folded his arms, sensing an argument brewing. “We are all very much devoted to one another…” he said carefully.

“Vali, believe me when I say that nobody understands how you are feeling more than I do. I was your very age when your father and I fell in love and ran away and became Sjalsfrandes. Your feelings are real and true. But I do not see how you can be wedded to both Eira and Alaric. Why not be wedded to Eira and take Alaric as your lover, as is proper?”

“But my love for Alaric is the same as my love for Eira,” Vali replied. “How could I deny the security and position of being wedded to one but not the other?”

Sigyn sighed and rubbed her forehead. “No man has ever been wedded to his male lover before…I do not know if it can even be done…Who would pay the dowry and the bride price? Just because you do not marry Alaric does not mean you love him any less. And if Eira gives him children, as well as you, his will never be considered legitimate.”

Vali sighed and looked down at his lap. “But I love him,” he said quietly.

Sigyn reached out and brushed her fingers through his blonde curls. “I know you do,” she replied earnestly. “Just as I love Iona and Brynja, and just as your father does his lovers. This is the way of things. There is nothing wrong with that love, but wedding your lover is too difficult. Remember Vali, that being wedded here is not the same as it is in Midgard. I know you hear tales from Nari about love and great romance, but to be wedded to a person is strictly for strategic purposes. It secures your future and your status and allows for an heir to carry on the family name. It is a way to grow stronger and more powerful in the world. It is business, nothing more.” She felt terrible going back on what she had always pushed for Vali. He was doing exactly as she had fought so hard for him to do, and now she had to crush his dreams. But what he wanted was too impractical, unfortunately.

“But you wanted me to marry for love.”

“I wished for you to love who you were wedded to. I wished for you to choose for yourself. But the act of being wedded is a business transaction. And you will be wedding the one you love. You love Eira very much.”

“Yes, I do, but I wish to be wedded to Alaric as well,” Vali said, looking desperate. “And you say that wedding is merely a business transaction, but how can you say that when you were married by Frigga and it was blessed. It was not business.”

“Our marriage was unique…The Allfather was very generous to allow Loki to marry me. I was not his equal and he should have married a girl from the highest ranking family in Asgard, not a lowly serving girl…”

“But mother, do you not see? People should be wedded for love, not power, or else no one should wed and we can all live as lovers. Let there be no binding ties beyond those of love.”

Sigyn sighed. “My son, I admire the purity of your thoughts. When your father and I ran away, we had no intention of being wedded. We were going to live as lovers in whatever world would allow us to be together. I do not know what would have happened if our souls had not bonded right then. I was betrothed to another man and would have been wedded to him. Theoric was not a kind man, but I would have had no choice in it…” She shuddered at the thought. “I do not think I would have grown to love him.”

“I am glad that the Allfather permitted you and father to marry,” Vali replied. “If not, Nari and I might have been raised by Theoric…And I am also glad because you and father were so in love. And you still are. You deserved to be wedded to him.”

Sigyn leaned forward and hugged Vali. “My son, I do not wish to deny you any happiness. You are to be king one day, and have a hard life ahead of you. I only wish to urge you to think long and hard about this. Do you think you will always love Eira as you love her now? Have you been with other girls to see how you like them as well? And the same goes for Alaric. You do not want to be tied down so young if you do not have to. You are still very young and this is the time for you to discover those things. What about Rona and Gunndis?"

Vali shrugged his shoulders. “Rona cares for her studies and career more than she does for love,” he replied. “And Gunndis is only a friend. I cannot imagine lying with her…”

“That is fair, I suppose,” Sigyn replied. “But you can still try to find other girls to see how they make you feel. I will not forbid you from seeing Eira, but I will not speak to her father about a marriage contract for several more months until you are absolutely certain about it.”

Vali nodded in agreement. “I can accept that,” he replied. “And I shall consider what you have said about Alaric, but I still wish we could be wedded too.”

Sigyn patted her son’s hand. “I know, but give it more thought. I am sure you will see why what I said makes sense.”

Vali kissed his mother’s cheek before standing up to take his leave. “I will, I promise,” he replied. “Now, if you will excuse me, I am needed in the throne room.”

“Very well,” Sigyn said as Vali began to walk away. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she called out a moment later. “Are you using a protective spell to make sure you do not get Eira, or any other girl you’ve been with, with child? You are not yet the king, it would not do for you to father any bastards who could come back and challenge you or your legitimate heirs one day.”

Vali blushed and looked at the floor. “Mother…Father taught me that spell last year…I have used it every time…” he said quietly.

“Good, I am glad to hear this,” Sigyn replied with a smile. Her smile turned into a look of concern. “I should check with your brother to make sure he fathers no bastards either…I have no doubt that he is enjoying his fair share of Midgardian maidens…”

Vali smiled to himself as he left the room. If only she knew…Nari looked exactly like their father, which was apparently a very alluring look to Midgardian women. He was extremely popular with them, and only told his mother a censored version during her visits, whereas Vali got to hear the whole story.

Nari had several young girls who were interested in him, and more than once, Bruce had caught them in Nari’s room, in a compromised situation. He and Bruce argued on occasion about it, and Brynja had to break them apart in order to keep Bruce from losing his temper too badly.

Nari also had a male lover, a fellow member of his school’s football team that he was on. As that was considered a taboo on Midgard, he was forced to keep that relationship a secret. “I do not understand,” he said one night as he and Vali were commiserating about their problems. “Some places on Midgard allow male lovers or female lovers to be wedded, but being attracted to them at all is looked down upon. And in Asgard, where it is perfectly natural, being wedded to your male lover is forbidden. Neither way makes any sense at all, really.”

Nari was taking precautions as well to make sure he didn’t get a girl with child, but used Midgardian methods, rather than magic. He had been educated in his school about how to prevent pregnancies as well as rather unfortunate illnesses that Midgardians were susceptible to. He could not get them, but he could pass them on to others. Brynja purchased the protective items for him so he always had enough.

Nari was enjoying his time growing up on Midgard, and had no thoughts or prospects of marriage any time soon. It was not even legal for him to consider being wedded for a few more years. He lived a completely carefree life where the most difficult thing was to make sure none of his lovers found out about one another.

Sometimes Vali envied his brother for having no responsibilities. Vali always felt pressured to behave properly and act responsibly and respectfully to everybody. Loki expected a lot from him. Sometimes he wished he could live in Midgard with Eira and Alaric.

By the time he reached the throne room, he had pushed aside those thoughts, and joined his father in making important decisions for the realm.

(SCENE)

That evening, Sigyn prepared Loki’s favorite roast chicken supper and waited until he was sufficiently sated before bringing up the subject of Vali’s lovers. “My love, I had an interesting discussion with Vali today and I think you should be kept informed of it, even if you cannot do anything about it,” she started, just as he had taken a bite of roasted potato.

“What is it, my wife?” he asked in her mind.

“Well…As you might have expected, Vali has taken Eira as his lover. He has also taken Alaric as a lover,” Sigyn replied calmly.

“Alaric? Volstagg’s boy?” Loki rolled his eyes. “Couldn’t he have chosen somebody else? Somebody who isn’t the son of one of Thor’s friends?”

Sigyn shrugged her shoulders. “They have been friends since before we went to Midgard,” she replied. “At least he has chosen lovers he knows and trusts. That will be important when he is king.”

“True, one must know that he shall not be betrayed by a lover when he is king,” Loki said in agreement.

“Vali also informed me of an interesting idea he has,” Sigyn went on, trying not to look at her husband.

“Oh?”

She cleared her throat and set down her fork before she continued. “He wishes to be wedded to both Eira _and_ Alaric,” she said quietly.

Loki paused in the middle of bringing a forkful of food up to his mouth. “Both? He wishes to be wedded to _both_?” he said incredulously.

“Yes, and I tried to dissuade him of this, but he seems determined…”

Loki set his fork down and shook his head. “What sort of foolish notion is that? Marrying two people…How will Alaric ever have an heir?”

“Eira claims that she would bear both of them children,” Sigyn replied.

Loki rolled his eyes. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Do young people have no sense anymore?”

“My love, think of us when we were his age,” Sigyn said in a reasonable tone. “Do you think that attempting to trick Frigga and run away to another world was a terribly sensible idea?”

Loki folded his arms and considered her example. “I suppose, looking back on it…we could have been a little more sensible…We were passionately in love, and nobody understood it.”

“Vali is passionately in love and feels that nobody understands him either.”

“But to be wedded to two people! One or the other I would not mind. But both?”

“The more we pressure him against it, the more he will want it. We must be united on this issue, and we must appear to be accepting of it. Perhaps this way he will feel free to change his mind when he has more time to think about it.”

Loki sighed and shook his head. “You are a wise woman, my love,” he said after a moment. “Wiser and more patient than I. I will do my best to stay out of Vali’s affairs on this matter, and will defer to you on how to proceed.”

Sigyn smiled. “Thank you, my love,” she replied. “I know it shall be difficult for you, and I intend to reward you for your willingness to help me with this.”

“Oh? What sort of reward?” Loki looked at her suggestively.

“Well, I baked you your favorite fruit and nut tart for afters tonight,” Sigyn said with a smile.

“Oh, well, that is lovely too…” Loki replied, looking crestfallen. “But I was hoping for a reward more in the way of sexual favors…”

“Well, I had that in mind too of course,” Sigyn assured him as she dropped a hand under the table and reached over to grasp his thigh suggestively. “But I thought we could have afters first…”

“Well, we will need the energy it provides to keep up our activities tonight,” Loki said, closing his eyes as his wife’s hand moved from his thigh to a more desirable place.

“Do you think we’ll be able to exchange favors all night long?” Sigyn asked.

“Not if you keep doing that,” Loki gasped. Sigyn moved her hand away from him and they returned to eating their meal in a hurried manner before retiring to Odin’s sleeping chamber.

The two spent the rest of the night enjoying one another’s company and trying to ignore the trials that having teenage sons brought to them.

(SCENE)

The next morning, Loki lay in bed, with his arms around his wife, trying not to think about having to get up for the day and spend all his time in the throne room. He had enjoyed his time as king, but lately he had felt himself growing weary of it. The responsibility drained him of energy and took much of his spare time.

Over the years, he had found himself imagining his life after Vali took over as king. He wished to travel the realms, with Sigyn at his side. They would enjoy all the sights and leave chaos in their wake. He missed the mischief and trouble he was so well-known for. He was still a very young man and had a lot of energy that sitting all day in the throne room did not expend. He and Sigyn used a lot of energy in their lovemaking endeavors, but he still felt a sense of wanderlust building inside him that he could no longer deny.

Sigyn sensed it in him as well. That morning, when she had awoken, they allowed themselves to stay in bed longer than they normally did. They lay in bed, Loki resting with his head pressed against her stomach. He stared up at the ceiling, looking at the gilded designs and wondering what the bright sky beyond it looked like. He sighed and Sigyn reached her hand down to run her fingers through his hair. “My Sjalsfrande, the urge to flee grows stronger within you with every passing day. I can feel it welling up inside of me too. What do you intend to do about it?” she asked quietly.

“I must give the kingship over to Vali soon,” he replied. “I need my life back.”

“And what will you do with your life?” Sigyn asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Loki reached up, took her hand in his, and brought it down to kiss it. “You and I shall do whatever we desire,” he replied. “We can visit all the realms and find creative places in which to make love. We shall travel the stars and find new realms to explore.”

“You are certain that you won’t grow tired of me going everywhere with you? And what about the children?”

“I will never tire of your presence,” Loki reassured her. “And we shall visit the children often. They will grow quite tired of seeing us.”

Sigyn smiled. “And there will be grandchildren one day as well,” she commented.

Loki smiled too. “Many, I hope.” He was silent for a minute before speaking again. “Though not too soon, I hope…”

“I suspect Vali will wish to be wedded and settle down with a family long before Nari does,” Sigyn replied. “Nari will hold out as long as he can before wedding.”

“If he ever weds at all.” Loki thought about Thor, and the fact that he had no marriage prospects, in spite of having taken a Midgardian lover for several years. Would she bear him bastard children before he decided to wed? It mattered not to Loki, however. Thor’s heirs would never sit on the throne of Asgard. It made him feel reassured to know that.

“How long will you wait until you make Vali king?” Sigyn asked as she ran her fingertips over his forehead.

Loki was quiet for a minute before responding. “Not long,” he said. “We shall wait and see what he decides about wedding his lovers. Let the silliness of romance fade and then he will be ready.”

(SCENE)

Vali spent several weeks contemplating his life and his love for Eira and Alaric. He took his mother’s words to heart and thought about what being wedded to both of them would be like. Eira would bear both his and Alaric’s heirs. As much as he hated to admit it, the thought of her doing that filled him with jealousy. Eira would not be Alaric’s wife, she would be Vali’s wife only. His children were the only ones she should bear. He did not mind her being Alaric’s lover, but he did not want her to bear his children. Perhaps it was too complicated to be wedded to them both, after all. If he was wedded to Eira, and had Alaric as his lover, that would be the best solution for everybody. Alaric could be wedded to another and have her bear his children.

One night, after a passionate entanglement with Eira and Alaric, Vali spoke of his decision. “I hope, Alaric, that you do not think that I love you any less,” he said, reaching out to run his fingers through the other boy’s ruddy locks.

Alaric smiled and leaned in to kiss Vali. “No, and in truth, this is the right thing to do,” he replied earnestly. “My father was not terribly happy at the idea, and now this means I will have legitimate heirs one day. He says he has already chosen a girl for me to wed.”

“My mother said it was madness,” Eira added. “She was displeased as well. But, I will still lay with you, Alaric, if you wish to, and if Vali permits it once I am wedded to him.”

Vali smiled and nodded his head. “Of course,” he replied. “Who you choose to take as lovers is your decision.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes after that before he spoke again. “The only problem is, how will we convince our parents that this was our choice and not theirs? I know that they were correct, but we cannot let them know that we realized it.”

“We shall tell them it was your decree, as the future king,” Alaric replied.

“The king is a naturally wise man. You saw this all on your own,” Eira said.

Vali hugged them both against himself and smiled. “This is why I love you both so much,” he replied. “Tomorrow, I shall tell my mother my decision, then she might begin to negotiate with Eira’s father to form a marriage contract for us. This will make her very happy.”

The next morning, before going to the throne room, Vali broke his fast with Sigyn in his old family chambers. She doted upon him, as she always did when he paid her a visit. After she had handed him a plate of eggs and potatoes, his favorites, he told her of his choice. “I have decided that I shall be wedded to Eira, and Alaric will be wedded to the girl Volstagg has found for him. We will continue to be lovers, however.”

Sigyn smiled and clapped her hands excitedly. “My son, you have made me most happy this morning,” she replied. “I will send word to Eira’s father and we shall begin negotiations immediately.”

Vali nodded and smiled as well. “I am glad that it pleases you so much,” he said.

“You will be a wise king one day,” Sigyn predicted. “To make such a wise decision at your age is quite extraordinary.”

Vali smiled again before beginning to eat his meal. It felt good to know that his mother felt he was wise. He left later that morning, feeling happy about his choice, knowing it had been the right one.

That evening, Sigyn told Loki the good news as they ate supper together. “My husband, I have such news!” she said as she handed him a plate of pizza bread. “This very morning, Vali informed me of his decision to be wedded to Eira! He says he shall be lovers with Alaric and is contented with that.”

Loki breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head slowly. “I am glad to hear that the boy has come to his senses,” he said before taking a bite of his food. “Perhaps there is hope for our realm’s future after all…”

“I will begin negotiating with Eira’s father tomorrow,” Sigyn continued. “I have no doubt that he will be pleased that his daughter is to become the future queen of Asgard.”

“I wonder what his bride price shall be,” Loki said. “And the dowry…I hope he does not demand too much.”

“Well, we can pay whatever he asks,” Sigyn replied. “Vali loves her terribly, and it is not as though we cannot afford it. And besides, Nari shall not need to do any of this, so think of the money you’ll save there…”

Loki nodded. “This is true,” he replied. “You are very wise, my wife.”

Sigyn nodded in agreement. “Vali gets it from me,” she added with a wink.

Loki’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? You’re going to get it from me if you’re not careful,” he joked.

“That is what I was hoping for,” she replied with a grin.

Loki grinned as well. “My wise and cheeky wife…I am a lucky husband,” he said. He stood up and approached Sigyn, grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet. He took her right there on the supper table while she clung to him. “We must enjoy this while we can,” he said in her mind, “for soon enough, we will have grandchildren running about everywhere and we will have to behave ourselves again.”

“I look forward to when we must return to our clandestine couplings if it means we have many grandchildren,” Sigyn replied back into his mind while crying out in her pleasure. She looked deeply into his eyes as they both reached their climax and she felt her soul soar, along with his.

When they had come down from their ecstasy, and had caught their breath, they returned to their meal, but stole furtive glances at one another for the rest of the meal.

(SCENE)

Negotiations with Eira’s father, Haward, went rather well, in Sigyn’s opinion. It was not normal for the mother to form the wedding contract, but since Loki was unable to do it, the duty fell on her to perform. The house of Haward stood to gain much from marrying into the house of Loki, and he was grateful for it. His demands were somewhat reasonable, asking for two chests of gold for the bride price, as well as three horses, four cows, and several rare jewels for Eira’s mother. “You must understand,” Haward said, “Eira is our only daughter, and very precious to us. Having her leave shall break her mother’s heart.”

Sigyn made a show of nodding in understanding. “Of course, the jewels will go far in helping to fill the void in her heart,” she said coolly.

In the end, the price was agreed upon, and they shook hands and bowed, sealing the deal between the two families.

“Vali and Eira will be wedded two years from now,” she told Loki that night as they shared a bath. “Two years is the proper betrothal period, and he will be fully a man grown by that time.”

“Two years,” Loki murmured as he wrapped his hands around his wife’s waist. “After he is wedded, I shall name him king, and then we will have our own lives back to ourselves.”

Sigyn smiled and leaned back against her husband’s chest. “I do like the sound of that,” she whispered. She leaned her head back and Loki looked down to kiss her. “I like it very much,” she said into his mind.


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vali marries, and is then named king of Asgard. Nari graduates high school and begins school at Notre Dame. Loki and Sigyn depart from Asgard to begin their lives anew.

Loki held out for two more years, until Vali and Nari had turned eighteen before moving forward with his plan to hand the kingship over to Vali. The boys had grown a lot in that time and he was terribly proud of both of them.

The year before, Nari had completed his education at his Midgardian school, and Sigyn, Vali, and Loki, disguised as Sigyn’s loyal hand maiden Iona, had travelled to Midgard to witness his graduation, as the Midgardians called it. Bruce and Brynja were there, proud foster parents who had earned the right to attend. Thor was also present. Sigyn had cried upon hearing her son’s name announced and seeing him traipse confidently across the stage to get his diploma.

Nari had grown tall and muscular, much like his farbror Thor. He was handsome and very popular, judging by the amount of applause and cries of congratulation he received from everybody else in the audience.

He had graduated with a scholarship for his football talent, and would be attending another school to continue his education, and play football for them. “Not just anybody gets to go to Notre Dame,” Bruce explained proudly to Thor after the ceremony ended and they had returned to the house in Connecticut. “This is a big honor for Nari.”

Thor beamed with pride. “Well, I have no doubt he will make them proud to have him at their school,” he replied. He clapped Nari on the shoulder and grinned. They stood eye-to-eye, much to Thor’s chagrin. “My brorson, I am happy for your good fortune. You have brought honor and glory to our family name. Your father would have been proud to see this moment in your life.”

Nari smiled and hugged Thor. “Thank you farbror,” he replied.

Sigyn threw her arms around Nari’s neck and clung to him desperately. He picked her up by the waist and held her tightly. “Mor, I love you so much,” he murmured in her ear.

“Oh my son, my heart swells with joy this day!” she cried. “Remember how you struggled at learning when you were younger? And now here you are, finished with one school and onto the next! I am so happy!”

“I am happy that it pleases you so much, mor,” he replied.

Vali and Nari exchanged hugs and pats on the back. “I am proud of you, brother,” Vali said with a grin.

Later in the evening, after supper, Iona beckoned to Nari and together they went into Nari’s room where they had privacy. Iona transformed back into Loki’s form and he hugged Nari tightly. “My son, my firstborn,” he murmured while wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders. “You once fit in my hand, and now you tower above me,” he said wondrously. “You have grown so much, my son. I am truly proud to be your father.”

Nari hugged Loki tightly in return. “My father, those words mean so much to me,” he said quietly. The two talked for a while until Sigyn knocked on the door and said they would be noticed soon if they did not return to the party.

After a couple hours, the celebration had quieted down, and Nari received a telephone call from his friends, asking if he wished to join them at another party. “Brynja, may I go?” he asked politely.

Brynja smiled and nodded. “Yes you may, but see if your brother wishes to join you.”

Nari turned to Vali. “Do you wish to go to another gathering?” he asked.

“May I, mother?” Vali asked, feeling hopeful that he would receive permission. He had never been to a Midgardian party and Nari had told him many exciting stories about them over the years.

Sigyn thought for a moment before nodding her head. “I suppose,” she replied. “But you must be responsible.”

“Yes mother, I shall,” Vali promised.

Brynja called out after the boys as they ran out the door. “If it gets too late, sleep there and return home tomorrow. Do not drive when you are too tired!”

“Yes Brynja, we shall!” Nari called back as he started his car. “Brother, this will be so much fun,” he said as they drove off.

The party was in the next town, and a large house full of young people were waiting for them when they arrived. Loud music blared out of the open doors and windows, and they could see people dancing inside. They went into the house and Nari introduced Vali as a cousin from out of town. There were several kegs of beer throughout the house and everybody was partaking of them rather liberally.

Vali proved to be quite popular that night. He had not intended to do anything except dance or talk to people, but the more he drank, the more interested in the Midgardian women he became. He danced with a lot of them that night, and much later, when he had grown weary, the girl hosting the party took him by the hand and let him upstairs to the second floor. She took him to her sleeping chambers, and the last thing he remembered after falling onto the bed with her, was the door opening, and somebody else slipping into the room.

(SCENE)

Vali woke up late the next morning, with a young Midgardian woman on each side of him in the bed, as well as a splitting headache. None of them were clothed, and he deduced that he had bedded both of them at some point in time before falling asleep. The young women woke up, giggling over what had taken place the previous night.

Vali lay with them both again that morning before getting out of bed and dressing for the day. He found his brother in another sleeping chamber, with three young women sharing his bed. Nari moaned and slowly opened his eyes when Vali leaned down and patted his shoulder. “Brother, what is it?”

“It is morning, and we must return to Bruce and Brynja’s,” Vali replied, looking at his disheveled brother with a grin on his face. Nari groaned and slowly got out of the bed. He stretched his arms out before joining his brother in search of the nearest restroom. “So, is this how most Midgardian parties are?” Vali asked as they walked.

“The ones that I’ve been to, yes,” Nari replied.

Vali shook his head. “I was with two women last night,” he said quietly. “I wonder what I shall tell Eira and Alaric…”

“Tell them what I tell my lovers,” Nari replied.

“What is that?”

“Nothing at all!” Nari replied with a grin.

Vali laughed and rolled his eyes. “That is probably for the best…”

After freshening up for the morning, the brothers traipsed into the kitchen and found leftover fried chicken in the refrigerator, and broke their fast. They were just leaving through the front door when they saw a car pull up into the driveway. An older man and woman got out of the car and looked up at the house, aghast. Vali turned and saw that the doors and windows were all opened and the terrible mess could be easily seen from their vantage point.

“Who the hell are you?” the man shouted at them. “Did Viola have a party when I told her no parties?”

Nari pointed to his car and said into his brother’s mind, “Run for it!” and with a cackle, raced down the stairs and over to the car. Vali quickly followed suit.

“Who is that?” Vali asked as they ran. They could hear the man’s angry shouting as they got into the car and started it up.

“You know the girl you slept with last night?”

“Which one?”

“The one whose house this is.”

“Oh, yes, her…”

“That’s her father,” Nari said as they peeled away from the house.

Vali looked over his shoulder and grinned. “I guess she’ll be in trouble for throwing a party against her father’s wishes,” he replied.

“It’s not the first time. I have been to this house several times for parties already, but apparently this is the first time she got caught.”

“Midgardian parties are quite enjoyable,” Vali said. “I shall miss it when I return home.”

“You have your own fun there, though,” Nari replied. “There are far less restrictions there, and you’ll be king soon enough.”

Vali grew sobered at that. Nari seemed to believe that being king was all that was needed to live a life of luxury and no responsibilities, but he was wrong. There was nothing _but_ responsibilities when one was king. “That is true,” he murmured.

“And wedded as well…” Nari shuddered. “I can’t imagine that,” he said. “We’re way too young for that.”

“Mother and father were younger than we are now when they were wedded,” Vali reminded him. “Just imagine being wedded and having two, three year-old children, right now in our lives.”

Nari shook his head. “No way, man,” he said firmly. “I am not settling down till I get out of college. At least. Not until my thirties, at the earliest.”

“I shall be wedded within the year,” Vali replied. “But Eira is a sweet, wonderful girl. She will be a wonderful wife and mother and queen. I love her very much…”

Nari smiled at his brother. “I am happy for you,” he said. “And I shall be there, by your side, holding your ring, and I shall cut your hand with your sword, just as custom demands. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Vali smiled. “Thank you, brother,” he replied. “It is good to know that you shall be at my side on that day.”

They talked about their futures for the rest of the drive home. Brynja had another full breakfast awaiting them when they returned. They ate heartily while telling her and Bruce a censored version of their adventures of the previous night. Brynja did not appear to believe them when they reassured her that nothing untoward had taken place. “Well, I hope you boys

at least used protection,” she commented. “It wouldn’t do to get a Midgardian girl in trouble. Imagine the poor dear when she saw her blue, quarter Frost Giant baby…I do not know if Midgardian women are strong enough to bear a Frost Giant baby. They are such delicate things, are they not?”

Nari chuckled. “Worry not, Brynja, I always use protection, and Vali has his magic,” he assured her.

When the meal was over, Vali hugged everybody and made his farewells before going into the backyard to take his leave. “Heimdall, open the Bifrost, I am ready to return!” he called out. He waved to his Midgardian family and they slowly faded away as the familiar bright light of the Bifrost enveloped him.

Heimdall laughed heartily upon seeing Vali appear in front of him. “You are lucky, young prince, that your mother is not privy to your excursion last night,” he said in greeting.

Vali rolled his eyes. “Do you always watch us when we travel to Midgard?”

“It is my duty to look out for the well-being of any Asgardian who has gone abroad,” he said with a sly grin.

“Well, I thank you, good Heimdall, for your caring, and your discretion,” Vali replied before taking his leave to join his father in the throne room.

(SCENE)

After that, life for Vali became a routine of joining Loki in the throne room, and listening to Eira and Sigyn make wedding plans. Vali did look forward to becoming Eira’s husband, but was still nervous about it. The impending coronation also weighed heavily on him. He would lay in bed, with Eira in his arms and think about their future. “My darling, you are so quiet tonight,” she said, while rubbing his temples with her fingertips. “The kingship weighs heavily on you, no doubt.”

Vali nodded and hugged her tightly. “Yes, my future wife, it does,” he said. “There is so much responsibility. I wonder if I am truly suited for it.”

“The Allfather would not have named you as the heir if he was not confident in your ability to rule,” Eira said practically. “I know you will be a wonderful king.”

Vali sighed and enjoyed her kiss for a minute before gently pressing her down onto his bed and kissing every inch of her body before settling in between her thighs. He loved the sounds of her sighs and moans when he made love to her. Knowing he was giving her pleasure was a joy, and more important than the pleasure he received from her.

When they were both sated and spent, they fell asleep in one another’s arms. Vali had a smile on his face.

(SCENE)

As the wedding approached, the only problem they ran into with planning, was finding somebody to perform the ceremony. Frigga would not be able to preside over Vali’s wedding, but in an unprecedented event, Loki, in Odin’s form had volunteered to perform the ceremony.

“A man?” Sigyn protested as they discussed who would be asked. “A man has never presided over a wedding in all of Asgardian history! It is not the place of a man, to bless a union of two people…”

“Do you not think that Odin Allfather could perform a wedding ceremony?” Loki asked with a frown.

“Possibly, but it is not for men to do. That is the women’s realm. It is our magic that binds them together.”

“Perhaps _you_ should perform it, then,” Loki suggested.

Sigyn shook her head. “I do not rank high enough,” she replied. “While there is none equal to Frigga, I think we should ask her second to do it. She has replaced her as the head midwife, and midwifery and wedding go hand-in-hand. It is only right that she rise to take her place in that role as well.”

Loki frowned. “I do think I would do a good job of it…” he pouted.

Sigyn smiled and kissed him. “I know you would,” she conceded. “But this is a job for a woman, and not even the Allfather can fill it properly.”

Loki sighed. “I suppose,” he said quietly.

The next day, Sigyn asked Asfrid to perform the wedding ceremony. Asfrid had been present for Vali and Nari’s births, and had been the one to assist Frigga with cleaning Vali immediately after he’d been born. She was certainly an appropriate person to now perform his wedding ceremony.

“I would be honored to,” Asfrid replied with a bow. “Vali has grown up well and will be a good king one day. To perform his wedding ceremony would be a true honor and privilege.”

Sigyn bowed and thanked the woman. That night at supper, she informed Vali of who would perform the ceremony. “She was there for your birth, just as Frigga was. She will do well, I think.”

Vali nodded his approval. “Thank you mother, I am sure she will do a fine job,” he replied.

The rest of the details for the ceremony had also been sorted out. Sigyn had prepared the menu and Vali and Eira had their wedding clothes designed and made. Vali cared not for most of the details, and left them up to Eira and Sigyn to decide. (

SCENE)

Vali’s wedding approached and Nari returned to Asgard, along with Brynja, Thor, and Bruce Banner, who Vali had specially requested be allowed to attend. Vali and Loki had argued for several evenings over it until Loki had finally given in. “He gave us shelter when we needed it and is a father to Nari! He deserves to take his place as part of my kin!” Vali had growled at his father. “I love Bruce as a foster father and you will not deny me my right to have the people I love at my own wedding!”

Loki had been stunned by his son’s firmness, and though he would never admit it, proud that Vali had stood up to him instead of backing down. It made him more reassured than ever that he was right in naming Vali as his heir. He would make a commanding king who would get results. “Very well, you may invite that man, if you so desire,” he had replied grudgingly. They never spoke of it after that.

Nari enjoyed his role as Vali’s second. He hosted the visit to the steam rooms and partook in the bawdy tales of lusty women, the tales of which made Bruce blush. “Nari! When did all of this happen?” he asked incredulously.

“Oh, here and there,” Nari replied vaguely. He grinned. “It’s all true, of course…”

Loki, in Odin’s guise, told tales of several of his maiden nights, and enjoyed watching his sons cringe. Perhaps that was why Odin had enjoyed sharing such tales at Loki’s trip to the saunas before his wedding to Sigyn. It was a fun tradition to pass down from one generation to the next. Vali would do the same for his son one day.

Thor shared a few tales on the promise that nobody would tell his Midgardian lover. “Jane is wonderful, but Midgardians do not view such things the same way we do…” Later that night, at the gathering Nari hosted in the dining halls, Thor drank until he could barely stand, and the last time anybody saw him, he had been wandering out of the halls with the Lady Sif on his arm.

Vali enjoyed the drinking and carousing for several hours until he caught Alaric’s eye, and the two slipped out of the hall, hand-in-hand. They ran to Alaric’s chambers and partook in one another’s pleasures until they fell asleep, exhausted and satisfied.

Nari settled in his guest chamber with a few maidens and didn’t sleep at all that night.

Brynja took Bruce to her chamber, to show him the “sights of Asgard,” as she put it.

Loki returned to his chambers, where Sigyn waited for him. He settled into their bed, and filled her in on his day. “I think I am a little inebriated,” he concluded with a laugh.

“Oh, my love, do you feel well? I remember when you got drunk at your gathering before we were wedded,” Sigyn replied with concern showing on her face.

“I am not as badly drunk this time,” he said. “It is pleasant.”

“Ahhh,” Sigyn replied. “Well, shall we just go to sleep then?”

Loki grinned and shook his head. “I have a better idea,” he said. “Do you remember the night before our wedding and we had to sneak off to Thor’s chambers to be together? We had a lovely time, did we not? I think we should relive that night right here…” S

igyn smiled and nodded her head. “I think that is a wonderful plan,” she said.

Loki didn’t take long to remove his clothes, and then hers, and took his time feasting upon the glory that was her body. “Oh, my wife,” he murmured as he reached a hand out to brush against her smooth stomach. Sigyn leaned back into the pillows and smiled as her husband settled comfortably on top of her. He tossed the sheets over them and began to make love to her.

Sometime later that night, when they were thoroughly exhausted, Sigyn settled into Loki’s arms. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. They fell asleep at the same time.

(SCENE)

The next morning dawned and it was all a blur to Vali, just as it had been for his father on the day he had wedded Sigyn. Loki was able to watch as an observer this time and felt pride course through him to see Vali take the final step to becoming a man grown, and seeing Nari at his side, helping.

The rituals were playing out exactly as they had for Loki and Sigyn, with the exception of Frigga not being present. But Loki thought he could feel her presence, somehow, and wondered if Hela had allowed her soul to join with them for the occasion.

He performed his part of the ritual, the presentation of the apple of Idunn, admirably in his opinion. Vali and Eira each ate from the apple, signifying their eternal Asgardian lives as well as the unending love they had for one another.

Loki spent most of the ritual thinking about how it was changing his life. Eira was now his daughter, though he could never acknowledge it. Eira was a sweet girl, and would be a good wife and mother. She was much what he once thought he wanted from a wife. He thought Sigyn would perform that role in his life, and hadn’t expect anything more from her. But she had turned out to be so much more than that. He wondered if Eira would be the same. Would she grow and blossom over the years into a formidable, notorious woman who would give Vali much to deal with, or would she stay the sweet, gentle girl she was now? Only time would tell. And Vali was now a man grown. Neither Loki nor Sigyn could tell him what to do anymore. As the head of his own house, he now was expected to make all the decisions for his life, and that of his wife and future children.

Loki felt old, suddenly. His child was no longer a child. Nari, though he was not wedded, was also a man grown, by Midgardian standards. He would be moving to the school he would be attending, leaving Bruce and Brynja childless again. Neither of the boys needed their parents anymore. The feeling of being old was quickly replaced by one of freedom. In truth, he and Sigyn were still very young themselves. There was so much they could do now that their sons were grown, with lives of their own. He couldn’t wait to get started.

Loki was lost in thought when the wedding rituals concluded, and was roused out of his thoughts by Sigyn grabbing his hand. “Vali is wedded!” she cried as Vali and Eira walked past them and through the cheering crowd. Tears flowed down her cheeks and Loki, in Odin’s form, leaned down and wiped her tears away.

“Hush, my love,” he said. “Tears on a wedding day is bad luck. You must be stronger than that.”

“I know, I shall do my best,” Sigyn replied with a sniffle. “But it was such a lovely ceremony.”

They walked, arm-in-arm, through the crowd, to the dining halls where the feast would take place. Once everybody had been seated, servants brought out trays mounded with various foods, including some of Vali’s Midgardian favorites, like pizza bread.

The feasting and celebration was light-hearted and Loki felt it was more relaxed than at his own wedding. Of course, his wedding had to be done exactly as ritual dictated, since it had been so unconventional in its circumstances. Nothing could look untoward or their secret would have been given away. Vali had no such stress or needs, so the festivities could be truly enjoyed by all.

There were dancers, jugglers, and singers all performing throughout the feast. The flyting contest that Loki had so badly wanted to join at his own wedding, but had been unable to, he was able to join now. Unsurprisingly, he beat all the other contestants soundly.

The crowd was laughing and applauding his insults and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. He glanced down at one point in time and saw Nari, Vali, and Eira laughing so hard tears flowed down their cheeks. Eira had clapped both arms around her waist as well. “Allfather, you are too much!” she gasped after he’d been named the winner of the contest.

Loki smiled. “Thank you, my son’s daughter,” he replied.

When there was a lull in the feasting and celebrating, Nari stood up and made his speech to toast his newly-wedded brother, just as Thor had done for Loki all those years before. “I am honored to be here today, to celebrate my brother’s wedding,” Nari began. “Though I have spent most of my life on Midgard with my adopted family, I will always be Asgardian at heart. I have always remained close with my brother in spirit, though we live so far apart from one another. He is my best friend and I know our father would be proud to see the man he has become. He is not here today, but I would not have missed this day for anything.” He held up his tankard of ale. “I wish my brother and new sister a life full of love, happiness, and many sons. Skol!” The rest of the crowd held their cups and repeated the toast before drinking to the happy couple.

Later in the afternoon, when people had started to get drunk, Nari and Thor decided to put on a display of Midgardian football for the crowd. Everybody seemed fascinated with the game, and Nari had to promise to return one day to teach the game properly so that they might play it as well.

When it came time for Vali and Eira to retire, Sigyn and a few of Eira’s kinswomen escorted them to their new home. Loki stayed behind, knowing it wasn’t a man’s place to partake in the rest of the night’s rituals.

It had been decided that the maiden test would be done away with, since it was so well-known that Vali and Eira were already lovers, but Eira’s mother insisted that the rest of the first night rituals be performed.

Sigyn returned to the dining halls a while later, with a smile on her face. “Vali carried Eira over the threshold perfectly, and I left them when the fertility ritual was to begin,” she said to Loki as he watched a group of dancing girls perform in front of the head table.

“Very good,” he replied absentmindedly.

Sigyn looked down the table and saw Nari, Thor, and Bruce Banner looking equally enthralled with the dancers. She laughed and shook her head before sitting back down and taking in their lovely forms as well.

When everybody else had left the halls or fallen asleep in their cups, Loki and Sigyn finally took their leave. “My love, do you wish for me to dance about like those girls?” Sigyn asked into her husband’s mind as they walked home.

“I am too tired tonight, my wife, but perhaps tomorrow,” was his response.

“Very well, I shall dance for you, but I will make it even more enjoyable for you than they did,” she said once they were in their sleeping chambers and had slipped into bed.

“How, my love?” Loki asked with a yawn.

“I shall be naked,” Sigyn replied before closing her eyes and promptly falling asleep. Loki grinned at the thought, and quickly followed suit in falling asleep. They shared their dreams all night long.

(SCENE)

Loki knew that being newly-wedded would be difficult enough for Vali without adding the kingship to it as well, and gave his son a year before bestowing it upon him. Vali and Eira enjoyed a long bonding time together, and Sigyn had been very hopeful that Eira would be with child by the end of it, but she did not conceive.

Vali’s first year of wedded life passed quickly and blissfully. Every day he found something more to love about Eira, like the way her nose crinkled when she laughed at his jokes, or the way she woke him up with a kiss every day. He continued to work with Loki in the throne room while Eira enjoyed keeping their home in good order for them.

By the end of their first year together, though, Eira had still not conceived. “Vali does not need an heir to take the throne,” Loki reminded Sigyn one night while they ate supper. “There is still plenty of time for a child.”

“Yes, but I wish to have grandchildren!” Sigyn replied stubbornly.

“My love, grandchildren will come when they come. Do not pester Vali and Eira over this, you will upset them.”

“I know, I know…”

Vali appeared to be patient about having children, but Eira didn’t want to wait. “She wishes to visit the healers to see what is wrong,” he informed Loki one morning in the throne room. “I tell her not to worry, but she does…”

“Perhaps the healers will be able to help,” Loki replied. “It is important to her, clearly. I wish you both the best.”

That night, at supper, Vali did his best to comfort and reassure Eira that he did not mind that she had not yet conceived a child. “We are still very young, my wife, we have a lot of time,” he said calmly.

Eira took a deep breath and nodded, but tears still pricked her eyes. “I am displeasing your mother,” she said as tears spilled down her cheeks. “She so wants grandchildren…”

“Do not pay attention to my mother,” Vali commanded. “She is busy tending to the royal gardens and does not have time for grandchildren.”

“I can tell in the way she glances at me and asks me how I fare, she blames me!”

“She blames nobody, for there is no one to blame,” Vali reached out and took her hand in his. “Eira, you are being too hard on yourself. I know being a mother has been what you wanted since before we met, but you must be patient. If it is meant to happen, it shall happen. Until then, we can enjoy our time alone. And all the times trying…” He grinned before continuing. “Perhaps there is something you would like to do to occupy your days. You do not have to spend all your time keeping our home-that is what the servants are for.”

Eira thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. “I know not what I am suited for,” she replied earnestly. “I was only ever trained to keep a home and tend to children…But you are right, we have servants to tend to the home, and I have no children to rear.”

“Maybe you could help my mother with the gardens,” Vali suggested.

“Your mother frightens me,” Eira confessed. “She is so powerful and accomplished. I feel lowly in comparison.”

Vali frowned and squeezed his wife’s hand tightly. “You are not lowly,” he replied. “She has merely had more time to do things. You will accomplish much in your life, I know it, or I wouldn’t have married you.” Eira sniffled and smiled sadly. “Is there something you would like to do to keep you occupied during the day?” he asked again.

Eira sat quietly for a moment thinking about her options. “I was very good at helping my younger brothers with their reading, writing, and sums,” she murmured. “Perhaps I could tutor children.”

Vali smiled at nodded his head. “I think you would make an excellent tutor. The schools always need more hands to help,” he replied. Sigyn had educated Nari and himself for many years before a private tutor had been procured for him, but most children on Asgard attended schooling outside of the home. Loki had been rather particular about how he had wanted his sons to be educated. “If you like, I can speak to the head scholar on your behalf. I can call her to the throne room tomorrow.”

Eira smiled and nodded. “I should like that very much,” she replied. “But…I do not wish to be given a position only because you decreed it. Perhaps I should speak to her myself and offer my services personally.”

Vali nodded his head. “I think that is a wonderful idea,” he said. “I am certain you won’t have any problems.”

The next day, at the midday meal, Eira sat next to Sigyn at the head table. “How are you today, my daughter?” Sigyn asked expectantly.

Eira smiled. “I am very well, mother,” she replied. “I have just been with the head scholar and I am going to start tutoring children tomorrow. I was very good at helping my brothers and I am looking forward to helping now.”

“That will be wonderful for you, my dear,” Sigyn replied. “I remember the joy of teaching my sons to read and write, and all of their schooling. I am sure you will do a fine job of it.”

“Thank you,” Eira said with a smile.

Vali’s life was less stressful after Eira started teaching. She was occupied during the day and felt fulfilled and valued for her contributions to Asgard, and worried less about becoming pregnant. Their lovemaking once again became an act of love and no longer a mission to conceive.

Time passed and Eira grew to love her work. It lessened the pain of not being a mother yet. Vali knew that even though she was happy with her work, it still hurt Eira to be taking so long to conceive a child. He encouraged her to spend all of her free time with the school children. “They love you so much and you are good at teaching them to read and write,” he said to her one night as they lay in bed together.

“I do love working with them,” Eira admitted. “Today, Donar Eiganson asked me why he needs to learn sums if he intends to work in the forges one day. He seemed to think he would not need to know such things, but I told him how sums will help with everything he will do in the forges one day. He was much happier about learning them afterwards.”

Vali smiled and kissed her tenderly. “You will be a good mother to our children one day,” he said before they both drifted off to sleep.

Vali was glad that his life was less stressful, for his coronation loomed ever closer. He would need Eira to be supportive of him during this time. His father was ready to leave Asgard, taking his mother with him, and Vali would be left to rule the realm on his own. It was a daunting task.

Nari and Thor returned to witness Vali’s coronation, just days after Nari’s first football game for his new school. Sigyn had travelled down to Midgard to watch and had come back with many tales of her son’s greatness. “The game is so exciting!” she cried upon her return.

When Nari arrived for his visit, she engaged him in a long discussion about the game and all of its rules. It was during this time that Eira sat down next to Vali and joined him for supper. She grinned at him and took his hand under the table. “My husband, I know it is the eve of your coronation,” she said while leaning in to kiss him. “But I think I shall tell you my good news now anyway.”

“What news, my love?” Vali asked before taking a sip of his ale.

“I have suspected for a while now, but I went to the healers today to check, and they have confirmed for me that I am with child,” Eira replied casually, keeping her eyes averted from her husband.

Vali set his cup down carefully. All the noise around him faded away. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly, not wanting to get his hopes up.

Eira nodded. “Yes, and the healers are too. They were able to determine that we will be having a son!”

Vali grinned and shook his head, shocked. “This is wonderful news!” he cried. He turned to look at Sigyn. “Mother, what news Eira has just told me. She is with child! A son!”

Sigyn jumped up and hugged Vali and Eira at the same time. “What good fortune!” she cried. “What a day this had been. My sons are both here, and I am to become a grandmother!”

Loki leaned over and clapped Vali’s shoulder. “Well done, my son’s son. On the night before you become king, you’ve learned that the throne has been secured for the next generation.”

The news quickly spread and soon all the diners were cheering and shouting out well-wishes to Vali and Eira. Alaric joined them at the table and kissed them both. He had recently been wedded and had been spending less time with them, but shared in their excitement. Vali welcomed the distraction from the nerves of the next day’s events. He knew he would not get any sleep this night.

(SCENE)

Vali’s coronation went smoothly, with no interruptions, unlike Thor’s that had ended so abruptly and fatefully many years before. Vali was scared to be going through the ritual in front of so many people, but kept looking over at Eira and taking comfort in her sweet, encouraging smile. The helm of entwined snakes rested atop his head as he knelt before the Allfather and said his vows. He could feel the weight of the helm weighing down heavily on his head. It was nearly as heavy as the weight of his new responsibility.

Loki was fiercely proud of Vali for taking on the kingship at such a young age. He was a wiser man than Loki had been at the same age. He tried to keep a steady hand and voice as he played out the ritual of handing Asgard down to his son.

When the ritual ended, Loki, in Odin’s guise, turned to the crowd of people that filled the throne room nearly to the rafters. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be your king all these long years,” he said as calmly as possible. “But the time has come for Asgard to have a new leader. King Vali will be a good king. A just king. He is worthy of your trust and undying fealty. I declare that today is the first day of a new age for Asgard. The age of Vali Lokison, king of Asgard. Long may the house of Loki rule!”

The crowd cheered for their new king, and for their former king, who for nearly everybody in Asgard had been the only ruler they and their ancestors had ever known. Vali bowed to the crowd before taking his rightful seat on the throne. He reached out with one hand and beckoned Eira to his side. Eira joined her husband, and sat down on the gilded chair to his right.

Sigyn watched as her son took the throne and did her best not to cry. She was now the mother of a king, and a former queen herself. It would not do to weep. Vali looked nervous and handsome and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and protect him, but as Eira took her rightful place at his side, Sigyn realized that it was Eira’s job now, to comfort Vali. As though he could sense Sigyn’s distress, Nari wrapped his arms around Sigyn’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss her c

heek. “Do not fret, Mor, I still need you to look out for me,” he said with a grin. “Can you believe it? Our Vali, the king now!”

Sigyn smiled and nodded. “I am a proud mother today,” she replied. “Never, when I was a child working in Kjell’s forge did I ever imagine that I would be the mother of a king one day.”

Nari grinned and shook his head in wonder. “I am the brother of a king…” he murmured.

Vali smiled to hear the well-wishes and cries of praise. It made him feel a little better and he held his head up higher, with pride and confidence. Eira grinned and waved at the crowd. “All hail Eira! The Queen of Asgard!” Cheers for the new queen quickly rang out through the room. Eira flushed and bowed her head demurely in response.

Vali scanned the crowd and his eye caught on Alaric, standing next to his new wife. He beckoned to Alaric and smiled as the man made his way to his other side. The two lovers shared a celebratory kiss while Eira looked on with fondness. “I am glad you are here today,” Vali whispered in Alaric’s ear.

“I would not miss it for anything,” Alaric whispered back.

When the celebratory cries had died down, Vali stood and made his first proclamation as king. “I declare today a day of rest and relaxation! Let us go to the dining halls and eat and drink until we can no longer stand!”

The crowd began to make its way towards the dining hall, with Vali and his family following behind at a slower pace. Sigyn hugged Vali and kissed his cheeks. “I am so happy for you, my son,” she cried as he lifted her up in his strong arms.

Thor clapped his hand on Vali’s shoulder. “Congratulations, my brorson,” he said with a smile. “This is a joyous day for our family. I am proud to have you as my king.”

“Thank you, farbror,” Vali said, looking humbled to hear such praise from his beloved uncle.

Odin also hugged Vali, and moved over to Sigyn’s side, taking her by the arm as the family walked towards the door. “My love, stay behind with me,” he requested quietly.

“Yes, my love?” Sigyn asked as the last of the people exited the room and they were alone.

“This celebration is not for us, I think,” he said. “Our time here is over. It is time for us to depart from Asgard.”

“Do you not wish to join in with the festivities?”

Odin shook his head before leaning down to kiss her. “I wish to have our own festivities,” he whispered in her ear.

“Oh? Well, I suppose I would not mind that,” she replied. “Where shall we partake in these festivities?”

Odin led her over to the throne and sat down on it. “Right here, one last time,” he said with a wicked grin.

Sigyn smiled and walked up to join her husband. She sat down on his lap and leaned in to kiss him. Loki quickly reached up and began untying his wife’s bodice and had her bare from the waist up in a matter of seconds.

Sigyn reached down and unbuttoned Loki’s breeches. They sat, kissing and touching one another for a few minutes before positioning themselves to take it even further. Loki enjoyed watching Sigyn as she took control of the situation. As always, he found her terribly attractive. He loved how daring she could be at times, and looked forward to an eternity with her. As they reached their peak together, neither bothered to stifle their cries, because nobody else would hear them.

When they had been satisfied, sometime later, they dressed again and slipped out of the throne room. Loki led her by the hand through the halls towards their home. “Let us take our leave of Asgard on this happy note,” he said as they began to pack their trunks with all their worldly goods. “You and me, my Sjalsfrande, it shall be just you and me now…”

Sigyn frowned. “I shall miss Asgard, and my garden, and Iona, and Vali…” she murmured.

Loki petted her hand sympathetically. “We shall visit often, I promise,” he assured her. “But for now, I wish to have you all to myself. Let us pack our lives away and tomorrow, we shall depart. You may have this one last night with Iona. You may make a proper farewell to her.”

Sigyn spent the day packing up everything she and Loki had accumulated over the years. She was exhausted by the time Iona returned from the celebration, but it did not stop her from partaking in a night of tearful farewells and lovemaking with her.

Iona spent the last night with her mistress wrapped in her arms. Sigyn had grown to love Iona a lot and cried the next morning as she dressed for the day. “Cry not, my love,” Iona implored while brushing Sigyn’s hair. “We shall be together again one day. You will visit often, and it shall be as if no time has passed.” She smiled lovingly before leaning in to kiss her mistress. She ran her hands up and down Sigyn’s body, as if trying to memorize every contour and curve to remember her by until she had a chance to see her again. Sigyn smiled as Iona lifted her skirt, and moved her hands down further. Sigyn continued to smile as Iona brought her to one final moment of ecstasy. Her cries turned from those of sadness to those of pleasure and she sighed when it was completed. “Remember me always, my lover,” Iona whispered before turning around and running out of Sigyn’s chambers.

Sigyn tried to hold onto the idea that she would see Iona again as she followed Odin out of their home. Servants had already taken their belongings and placed them on a small ship that he had procured. It could sail on water or in space, and he intended to sail around the universe with Sigyn at his side.

Nari and Vali greeted them at the dock as Loki and Sigyn were about to set sail. “You will be a wonderful king,” Sigyn said as she hugged Vali one last time. “And I will visit all of your football games,” she promised Nari. “I might even convince your father to join me.” She hugged him as well.

Loki hugged his sons too, kissing each of them on the forehead before he boarded his ship. “My love, let us take our leave now,” he said holding his hand out to his wife.

Sigyn held her children tightly for a long time before letting go of them. With a deep breath, she took a step away from them, towards Loki. Loki took her by the arm and guided her onto the ship that was to be their new home.

As Loki started up the ship and it slowly glided away from the dock, Sigyn looked back and waved at her sons. They waved back, and grew smaller and smaller, until she could no longer see them. She gave a shuddering breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and joined her husband’s side as they sailed off towards their future.


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tragedy strikes Vali and Eira. Loki and Sigyn return to Asgard.

Vali’s reign as king of the Nine Realms began smoothly, for those in Asgard quickly came to love him, though there was some immediate trouble with the Jotuns. They tried to test Vali’s mettle by giving him challenges to deal with in the outer realms. Vali quickly dispatched warriors to contain the Jotuns and in a short amount of time, they had triumphed, and his position as ruler of Asgard and all the Nine Realms was solidified.

During this time, Eira’s pregnancy continued to progress. Her pregnancy sickness arrived, and though it was very violent, it was something she gladly put up with. “Our son is growing strong,” she said weakly to Vali one morning from their bed. She was too exhausted to get up. “I will knit him another sweater today after I am done with lessons. I so love making the clothes he will wear one day.”

“My love, you cannot even get out of bed, how can you help at the school?” Vali asked with a frown.

“I will feel better soon, I know it,” Eira replied with a weak smile.

As time went on and there was no change in Eira’s condition, Vali was concerned for his wife’s health. She could hardly eat any food without becoming ill. Her skin was pallid and she had dark circles under her eyes. She claimed to feel fine, but he didn’t believe her. “Perhaps you should visit the healers to make sure that all is well,” he suggested one morning.

“I am fine, my husband,” she said with a wan smile. “You needn’t worry.”

She had gotten half way through the pregnancy and had started to wear new clothes to accommodate her growing body, when the pains began. She did her best to ignore it and joined Vali at the dinner table one evening when he had returned from the throne room. She was standing up to serve him a plate of food when a sharp pain emanated from her abdomen. She gasped and bent over in pain, dropping the plate of food and sending it clattering to the floor.

“What is it, my love?” Vali asked as he jumped up and placed an arm around her shoulders.

“It is nothing, just a sharp pain,” she replied with a grimace as Vali helped her back to her seat. “Perhaps the baby kicked.” She winced again, and bent over slightly. “That did hurt a little,” she admitted.

“I do not think a baby kicks that hard,” Vali said, looking concerned. “Perhaps I should summon a healer.”

“I am sure it shall pass,” Eira replied. “Let me just catch my breath.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “There, it has passed,” she said a minute later before standing up to gather the broken remnants of her husband’s supper plate.

Vali’s eyes grew wide as he looked at Eira. Her white tunic was stained with blood and he had no time to say anything before she cried out in pain again and collapsed to the floor. “Vali! Help me!” she cried.

Vali ran to her side and helped her to a bench before calling a servant and telling him to summon a healer. “My wife is very ill!” he yelled.

By the time a healer arrived, Eira’s tunic was soaked with blood and her pains were nearly constant. The healer quickly examined her, and listened to the baby. After a minute, she sighed. “I do not hear the child’s heartbeat,” she said quietly.

“What?” Vali asked, feeling stunned as Eira began to scream.

“Your wife is miscarrying,” the healer explained. “We must get her to your washing room to deliver the fetus…”

The healer and Vali helped carry Eira to the washing room. Vali, in stunned silence, stayed at Eira’s side, and held her hand. The healer made no arguments about having a man present in the room. Eira knelt on the bottom of the tub, holding herself up by the edges, and sobbed as she pushed to deliver the precious child that had taken her so long to conceive. The labor pains were intense, but it ended quickly, and when the body had been delivered, the healer placed it in a towel and wrapped it up.

The healer then helped Eira deliver the placenta and made sure there was no excessive bleeding before taking the towel and picking it up to examine it. Vali was crying and held Eira in his arms. “May we see him?” he asked quietly.

The healer looked into the towel once more before wrapping it again and shaking her head. “I do not think you should,” she said firmly. “There is something…not right, and you do not need to see…” When Vali began to sob, she frowned. “I am sorry for your loss…I will leave you two in your grief.”

Eira and Vali held tightly to one another and cried for several hours that evening. Vali sent word to the throne room that he would not be making an appearance the next day. “Why did this happen?” she asked quietly. “I wanted this baby. I loved him already! He was to be my son!”

“I know not,” Vali replied through his tears. “I loved him too. He was to be king after me…”

Several days passed, and Vali had to return to the throne room, but Eira stayed in their living chambers. Her mother and other kinswomen visited her, trying to comfort her. “How can I be a proper wife if I cannot bear my husband a child?” she asked.

“You will, one day,” her mother reassured her.

After a month, life began to become more normal again. Eira returned to her routine outside her home, though she found that working with children was now a painful reminder of her loss, and stopped shortly afterwards. She could also not bear for Vali to touch her intimately. “Please, my husband, why do you not join with Alaric, or one of the maidens?” she suggested one evening when Vali had tried to remove her nightgown and pressed his lips to her neck. He began to sleep in his own sleeping chamber after that, taking Eira’s advice and joining with Alaric, or occasionally a maiden who had caught his eye. It was lonely and he missed his wife very much but he knew that she needed time to get over her pain.

When three months had passed, Eira had the bravery to seek out healers to ask their advice on conceiving a child. “What is wrong with me?” she asked.

The two healers before her exchanged glances. “I am not so sure it is you who is the problem,” one of them replied slowly.  
“What do you mean?”

The other healer took a deep breath before speaking. “We examined the fetus you miscarried and determined that it was not viable even if you had carried it to term. There was something wrong with it. We feel that the fault lies with the father…”

“Vali? How is he to blame? I was carrying the child, not him.”

“Your husband is half Asgardian, and half Jotun,” the first healer explained. “Because of that, there are some genetic anomalies associated with him. We do not think that Vali will ever be able to father children…He may be able to get you with child, but the child will never make it to birth…”

Eira felt her stomach drop. The problem was not with her. And how would Vali have an heir if he could not produce children?

“How can I tell him this?” she finally asked quietly.

“We can tell him, if you wish,” the healer next to her replied. “It is not the type of news anybody wishes to hear, but we could answer any questions he may have.”

That night, Eira sorrowfully told her husband that she had spoken with the healers and they had news to tell him personally. “I shall go with you, if you like,” she said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it tightly. She loved her husband, whether he would be able to give her children, or not.

Vali sat with the healers the next morning and learned the terrible news that he, as well as his brother Nari, would never father children “But…but…How?” he sputtered. “How did you not know this before?”

“We had hoped it would work, though we had our doubts,” the main healer admitted. “We thought maybe it would be different with people than it is with animals, but that is not the case, I am afraid…”

Vali waited until he was back in his home, alone with Eira, before the tears began to fall. “My wife, I have failed you as a husband and as a man,” he cried. “I am so ashamed!”

Eira frowned and shook her head. “My love, do not feel this way,” she said firmly. “You cannot control this and I do not blame you at all. I still love you with all of my heart.” She hugged him tightly, comforting him.

It took a few days for Vali to come to terms with his news, but finally he decided it was time to tell Nari as well. He travelled to Midgard, thinking that Nari deserved to be told personally.

Nari and Vali cried and hugged one another after Vali informed him that neither of them would ever be fathers. “I did not want children yet, but I did want them one day,” Nari said as tears streamed down his face. “Perhaps I could adopt…”

“Our own father was adopted,” Vali reminded him. “I think it is noble to adopt children. Perhaps I shall as well.”

“What will mother and father think when they find out?” Nari asked.

“Mother will be very upset,” Vali replied. “And father? I think it will make him hate his Jotun self all the more…He always thought of it as a curse or an illness that he passed onto us and he will see this as the proof of that.”

Vali stayed long into the evening, talking to his brother about the pain of watching Eira lose their child. “She wants a baby more than anything, but I cannot give it to her,” he said quietly. “Perhaps I should find her a proxy…”

Nari considered this for a moment. “Would you be able to accept a child that she bore with another man?” he asked. “Could this child be considered your heir to the throne?”

Vali sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I have seen her with Alaric many times, but I always vowed that mine would be the only children she’d bear. It does make me jealous to think of her having another man’s child,” he admitted. “But it is selfish of me to expect her to live a childless life on my account. It would be cruel.”

“Perhaps if she found a proxy and didn’t tell you who it was, then you wouldn’t know who to be jealous of,” Nari suggested.

“Perhaps,” Vali replied slowly. “I just feel so ashamed. Creating life is supposed to be the most basic and simple thing for a man to do, and I cannot even do that.”

Nari sighed. “Midgardians sometimes have troubles conceiving too,” he replied. “There are special scientists and doctors who study it and help people. But I do not think they could help us…”

“Not even the Asgardian healers can help us,” Vali said.

Nari invited Vali to stay the night. “College parties are so much better than high school parties, brother,” he said enticingly.

“You would be very popular with the girls there.”

Vali sighed and shook his head. “I should return to Asgard. I cannot be away for too long,” he replied. “But I thank you for the offer.”

When Vali returned to his home, he found Eira waiting up for him in their sleeping chamber. “I thought you would be asleep by now, my wife,” he said as he changed into his night clothes. “It is very late.”

Eira shrugged her shoulders and set down the book she’d been reading. “I have missed you lately,” she replied. “We are both very busy right now…”

Vali sat down on the bed across from his wife. He looked into her eyes and saw an openness that he hadn’t seen in a while. He knew the time had come to talk to her about what had happened.

Eira and Vali talked until the sun came up about the pain of losing their child, and the added pain of learning they would be unable to have any at all. Vali shared his thoughts on Eira finding a proxy to help her become pregnant. He voiced his concerns about being jealous, but wishing for her to be happy as well. Eira felt reassured to know that she had his blessing to find somebody to father a child if she chose to do so. Vali assured her that he could accept any child she may have as his own when he or she was presented to him. “I do not want you to worry about that,” he said, reaching out to take her hand in his.

“Thank you, my husband,” she said as they shed their clothes and slipped into their bed. As they began to make love, Eira wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I love you so much, my husband. I am happy to know that you do not mind if I find a proxy.” They made love until they could no longer keep their eyes open, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

(SCENE)

Loki sat at the edge of a lake in the northern Midgardian island of Iceland. Sigyn was off in the bushes, tracking a stag in hopes of catching their supper. She had shown quite a talent at tracking and hunting wild game in their travels and Loki was more than happy to let her do it for them, in spite of hunting being considered the man’s realm. If she was unsuccessful, he decided he would try to catch fish for their dinner.

“My love, how close are you to catching our meal?” he asked into his wife’s mind as he unfolded a blanket. “I am growing quite hungry and I also wish to eat…”

“Oh, my Sjalsfrande, you are of one mind!” she called back. “I am nearing my quarry and then it will be a short while until I have butchered it properly. Perhaps you can start a fire so that we might roast my catch when I bring it back with me.”

“Your wish is my command, my wife,” Loki said as he gathered sticks and conjured a fire with a click of his fingers. His thoughts returned to his own mind and he stared into the flickering flames, allowing himself to enjoy the shapes and the crackling sounds.

He was relaxed and sighed contentedly before looking up to glance out at the lake, only to see a face looking back at him. He gave a start to see his own sharp blue eyes looking back at him. Hela sat there, an amused look on her dark features. “I get that a lot,” she said in greeting.

Loki’s surprise quickly turned into a scowl. “What are you doing here?” he growled.

Hela smiled her terrifying smile and shrugged her shoulders. “There are goings on I thought you should know about,” she replied slowly while she reached one hand out and ran her fingers through the fire’s flames. “Because you are so far away and nobody knows where you are, I thought I would deliver the bad tidings to you myself.”

Loki frowned. “What has happened? Is it one of my sons?” he asked.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Hela replied. “I was in Asgard a while back, collecting a few souls, and noticed a small one fluttering about, waiting to be taken. It was such a little, frail thing, I knew it had to be from some unborn babe. I called it to me and examined it, and I recognized who it was. It belonged to your son, Vali,” she spoke slowly and clearly.

Loki sat up straight, his frown deepening. “Eira miscarried?” he murmured.

“It appears so, for I got the sense from it that it had been wanted,” Hela replied. “I do not think it was viable. The soul was a withered little wisp, I was barely able to keep a hold on it myself…”

“How did it happen?” Loki asked, folding his arms.

Hela shrugged. “Who can say? But my best guess is that there was too much warring blood inside him. Jotun, Asgardian, which one will win? Apparently the answer is, neither. I fear that your sons will not be able to father any children…”

“But Sigyn and I were able to have children,” Loki replied.

Hela nodded. “Both of you are pure-blooded,” she said. “You had half-breed sons. And those sons have the blood of two different worlds inside them. You see it with animals. If a horse and a donkey manage to produce offspring, that offspring is always barren. It cannot pass on its blood to another generation.”

“My sons are not barnyard animals!”

“No, but the reasoning is the same.”

Loki stood up and shook his head. “It was a miscarriage, it was just an unfortunate incident, that is all,” he said firmly as he began to pace in front of the fire. He felt like part of his heart was breaking, for Vali and for Sigyn. Both of them had put so much hope in this child that would now never be.

“Do you wish for me to tell your wife, or would you rather do it?” Hela asked. “She has caught her stag, butchered it, and returns to your camp now…”

Loki glared at Hela. “Don’t you dare!” he cried. “You take such pleasure in our misfortune. I will not give you that satisfaction. Why don’t you be off? I am sure there are many souls that need your assistance.”

Hela smiled and rose from her seated position. “Taking pleasure in another’s misfortune? Who knew we were so alike…” She laughed lightly before tossing her head and straightening her shoulders. “Very well, I shall depart,” she continued, “but we shall meet again soon.”

“How do you know?”

“I cannot say, for that would make it far less fun,” Hela said with a pout before blinking out of his sight.

Sigyn returned a few minutes later with the butchered stag in her arms. “My love, we shall eat well for days,” she said as she set it down on a pile of dried leaves Loki had gathered for her. She set the antlers down at her husband’s feet and grinned. “We are gathering quite the collection,” she said, referring to the fact that Loki insisted on keeping the antlers of each of her kills to commemorate her hunting prowess. “Perhaps we should use them to fashion a new helm for you.”

Loki smiled. “Someday, perhaps,” he replied quietly.

Sigyn began to gather the sticks she’d need to make a spit for the haunch that was to be their supper. “While the meat roasts, would you like to help me wash up in the lake? It is always so much better when you are at my side…” she smiled coyly.

Loki gazed down at his beautiful wife. How could he tell her such terrible news? He would give her this time to enjoy herself and tell her while they ate. “I would love to help you bathe, my Sjalsfrande,” he said before walking up to her and helping to remove her clothes.

Sigyn shivered when the cool air hit her bare skin. “The night air is quite cold,” she said as she watched Loki remove his own clothing.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Loki replied as he drew Sigyn into his arms and held her closely. “Let me warm you up before we enter the water.” After a couple minutes, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the water. He grinned when she squealed at how cold the water was. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “Is it very cold, my love?” he asked as he kept walking until only their heads and necks were not in the water.

“Yes, it is freezing!” Sigyn declared as he set her down and began to run his hands up and down her body in an attempt to wash the stag’s blood off of her.

“Well then, when we are done, we shall have to do something to warm you up again. I wonder what we could possibly do that would help…” Loki said with a sly grin.

“There is _one_ thing I can think of,” Sigyn replied as she reached her hand out and grasped him possessively. Loki groaned and pressed himself against her. “You know, my husband, most men would fear what ice cold water could do to them, but not you. Perhaps there is an advantage to your Jotun blood after all…”

Loki growled in her ear and picked her up again. This time he carried her back to shore and set her on another pile of leaves. Within seconds they were passionately embroiled in lovemaking. Their cries joined those of the local fauna, though they cared not who or what might hear them. He took her five times before he was exhausted and spent.

Sigyn kissed him as he lay on top of her, breathless. “Oh my love,” she whispered in his ear. “Oh my love…” She ran her fingers through his long, dark hair and began to untangle her body from his. It took several minutes to get to their feet and get dressed again, and by the time they were done, their meal was ready.

Sigyn sliced thick pieces of meat for her husband and presented it to him proudly. “My husband, eat and regain your strength,” she commanded before preparing a plate for herself. She sat by his side in front of the fire and ate heartily, for bathing in cold lakes, followed by vigorous lovemaking always left her famished.

Loki ate ravenously, feeling as though he might pass out if he did not eat quickly enough. Between the two of them, they devoured the entire haunch. “My wife, that was delicious,” he declared when they had finished. He pulled her into his embrace and pressed his lips to hers.

Sigyn smiled and remained in his arms when he finished kissing her. Loki frowned as he thought about how upset he was about to make his wife. He hated to feel her pain. “My love, what is it?” she asked after a minute. “I can feel your distress…”

Loki sighed and decided that honesty was the best way to deal with it. “While you were hunting, Hela came to visit me,” he started.

“Hela? What did she want?”

“She was the bearer of unfortunate tidings that I must now bestow upon you.”

Sigyn sat up and looked closely at her husband. “Has something happened to the children? Or to Kjell?” she asked, her face draining of all color.

Loki reached out and grabbed her hand. “They are well,” he reassured her. “But I am afraid that Eira’s child…was miscarried…I am so sorry, my love.”

Sigyn gasped and tears stung her eyes. “My grandson!” she cried. “My grandson has died!” With that, she began to wail loudly.

Loki felt as though his soul was being torn to shreds. Her pain was immense and nearly overwhelming. He took her hand in his again, and drew her back in to hug her. Tears spilled down his cheeks as well, for Sigyn, and for the pain Vali must be feeling. Knowing his child was hurting hurt most of all. “My love, let us return to Asgard,” he said after a while. “Let us visit with Vali and Eira, and give them comfort at this time.”

Sigyn nodded her head in agreement. “Let us go tonight,” she replied.

“Very well,” Loki agreed. “Return to the ship, and I shall clean up here for you. I will be along shortly.” He watched as his wife rushed off to their ship. They had been enjoying their time together so much since they’d left Asgard. Something always seemed to happen to ruin it for them, however. With a sigh, he picked up the stag’s antlers and the rest of the meat, and used a spell to douse the fire.

As he walked towards the ship, he hoped that something good might come of their return to Asgard. Perhaps the healers would be able to assist Vali and Eira in conceiving another child. He did so wish to hold his grandchild in his arms one day.

(SCENE)

Eira debated for several weeks about finding a proxy for her husband. Only she and Vali, and the healers would ever know. The healers would be sworn to secrecy, so there was little chance of anybody else finding out. It had to be done discreetly as well. The less gossip about this, the better, in her opinion.

After she began to grow more comfortable with the idea of taking a proxy, she began to look around the palace for a suitable man. She wanted to find a man who looked somewhat like Vali, so that a child that they produced would look like her husband. She looked around at the blond-haired, blue-eyed men, of whom there were quite a few from which to choose, and settled on a man many years her senior. She didn’t want there to be any chance of forming an attachment to him. This man would be a lover, nothing more.

Fandral was a notorious lover, and nobody would think it strange if she invited him into her bed. He was loyal to Vali, as he had been to Odin before him, but she knew he would have no problem with bedding the wife of the king.

Eira called Fandral to her home when Vali was away on a raiding party on Jotunheim. Fandral had stayed behind to guard the palace, but didn’t have an issue taking a break to visit Eira when she summoned him.

Eira was nervous when Fandral came to visit. She had dismissed all the servants, and her heart pounded at the thought of what she was going to do. Fandral was a masterful seducer, however, and quickly had her at ease. It did not take long after he arrived, for her to lead him down the hallway to her sleeping chamber. She would never take another man into her marriage bed, so she drew him into her own room, and allowed herself to enjoy her time with Fandral.

Vali was gone for two weeks, and Eira bedded Fandral every night that he was gone. She enjoyed her time with him, but preferred her husband’s pleasures over his. When Vali returned, she quickly joined with him in her marriage bed. Fandral knew that their tryst was over, and did not protest.

A month later, Eira visited the healers, and learned that she had successfully conceived a child. Vali was not the father, and they saw no reason that this child, another son, wouldn’t make it to term.

Vali was thrilled to hear the news, for he knew that Eira was happy. He kept his jealousy and reservations to himself, and allowed himself to revel in his wife’s happiness.

(SCENE)

Loki and Sigyn arrived back in Asgard to warm welcomes from Vali and Eira. Sigyn took one look at Vali and began to cry. “My son, I have missed you so much!” she wailed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “We did not learn of your loss until very recently or we would have come home sooner.”

Vali smiled and kissed her cheek. “We were very saddened by our loss, but I have good news to share. Eira is with child once more and all appears to be well.”

Sigyn smiled and clapped her hands. “Then I shall become a farmor after all!”

Loki, in Odin’s guise once again, smiled as well and embraced Vali. He wondered if Hela had been wrong about her predictions for his sons’ ability to reproduce or if Eira had chosen a proxy to have a child with. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. “My son’s son, well done,” he finally replied. “We have been so concerned about you and Eira.”

“Eira is well,” Vali said as he walked with them to their chambers. “We are to have another son, and this one grows strong. She cannot stop eating, so I think he shall be very hearty and sturdy.”

“I wish to see her very soon,” Sigyn replied.

Eira met them at their chambers and there were hugs and kisses shared by all. Sigyn patted Eira’s swelling stomach. “My son’s son is growing strong, I have heard,” she said with a grin.

“He does,” Eira confirmed. “I cannot stop eating night or day! I am glad you have returned and I hope you shall stay until after the baby is born.”

“I shall insist upon it,” Sigyn replied with a glance at Odin.

“We shall of course stay until the child is born,” Odin replied with a bow, finalizing the subject.

Iona, who had been informed of her mistress’s return, arrived at their chambers quickly. “Oh, my love!” she cried when she saw Sigyn.

Sigyn grinned and held her arms out as Iona approached her. “My dear,” she said before hugging Iona tightly and pressing her lips to the other woman’s. “I have missed you terribly, but we are back until my son’s son is born, and so we shall be able to spend lots of time together.”

“I shall very much look forward to that,” Iona said as she ran her hands through Sigyn’s wispy blonde hair.

Loki had grown close to a couple of Odin’s servants over the years of living the other man’s life, and also looked forward to being reunited with them. He smiled at his wife and her lover before joining Vali in a walk to the throne room. “Let us leave the women to themselves,” he said as they walked.

“We have missed you and mother very much since you left,” Vali said quietly. “After we lost the first baby…It would have been such a comfort if you and mother had been here…”

Odin reached out and patted Vali’s shoulder. “I am very sorry for your loss, my son,” he said just as quietly.

Vali nodded before changing the subject. “I am glad you will be staying for the birth. I wish for you to be present at the naming ceremony.”

Odin smiled and nodded. “It will be an honor,” he replied.

Once in the throne room, Vali took his rightful place on the throne and Odin sat at his side to observe the goings on of the palace. Somehow, it felt as though no time had passed. As he looked out into the group of advisors, and watched as Vali sent out a group of warriors to explore the other realms, he realized that it felt good to be home.


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Sigyn's world comes crashing down around them. The tragic ending of their life and times.

In the weeks that followed, Loki and Sigyn rejoined palace life very quickly upon their return. It didn’t take much time before Sigyn started her work in her garden and spent many hours enjoying Iona’s company. Loki joined his son in the throne room each day. It felt as if no time had passed at all from when they’d left the first time.

Sigyn loved being back home with the things and people she loved the most. Palace life had always suited her. She spent hours in the forges with Kjell as well. They worked on swords and shields side-by-side. It brought back memories of when she first had seen Loki and Thor so long ago as young children. Now that she was older, Kjell allowed her to actually work on forging the weapons instead of being relegated to carrying the finished product to another part of the room.

“Do you remember the day I met Loki, Kjell?” Sigyn asked one day as she hammered a red-hot dagger. It was destined to end up in the hands of one of Vali’s warriors.

Kjell nodded and smiled. “I was worried that you had gotten in trouble with the king’s children, and it might go badly for you. Luckily Frigga was a wise and kind woman and did not choose to punish you for anything.”

“Well, I had not done anything wrong.”

“True, but a lesser person could have chosen to save face and use you as a scapegoat. It could have ended quite badly for both of us, my daughter.”

Sigyn reflected on this for a moment before nodding his head. “I am very glad that it did not turn out badly for either of us,” she replied with a smile. They continued to work on their weapons in silence after that.

That night, Sigyn and Loki lay in their bed, discussing the goings on of their day. Loki was restless, having returned to Asgard before he’d truly wished to, but he knew Sigyn was most content here, at home. He was conflicted between wishing to leave again for his own sake, and wishing to stay here, for her sake. He tried to keep this to himself, but he knew that it was folly to try. She knew him too well and could always read into his soul. “My husband, what is it that troubles your mind?” Sigyn asked as she leaned over him, rubbing his back and shoulders while he lay across the bed.

Loki sighed and closed his eyes. “I grow weary of Asgard, and restless to travel again, but I know that you wish to remain here,” he said honestly.

Sigyn sighed as well. “My husband, it is true that I do love being here, it is my home. It is where we met, courted, and were wedded. It is where our children were conceived and born. But you are my husband, and I shall follow you wherever you go. You must make these decisions, it is your duty.”

“My wife, you are too kind,” Loki replied as he reached a hand up to grab one of hers. “I would say that I should praise you to the heavens, but we are already there.”

“Oh, my Sjalsfrande, I am doing what any good wife would do,” she said before leaning down and kissing each of his shoulder blades.

“I fear I have not been a good husband to you all these years. I have been demanding and selfish too many times to count.”

“My love, I do think you are being too hard on yourself,” Sigyn said quietly as she sat up and began to gently rub his neck.

“You were very young and we have always worked out our problems. I very much prefer you to the man I was supposed to marry. He would have been cruel. We may have had some problems at times, but you were never cruel and you never struck me or the boys. Do not forget the ways in which you are a good husband and father.”

Loki smiled and turned over to look up into his wife’s lovely face. “You are so kind to me,” he said as she lay down next to him and traced her fingertips over his smooth jaw line. “I shall think about it tonight and will let you know my decision tomorrow. We will not go until after the baby is born, of course, if we do go at all, that is.”

“Thank you, my husband, for that at least,” she said as he began to remove her nightgown and his own clothing.

Loki had no way of knowing that this would be the last time he would make love to Sigyn, or that he would never get to make a decision to stay or leave. That decision would soon be made for him.

(SCENE)

The next day, while breaking their fast in the dining halls, a group of Vali’s warriors that he had sent out on an exploratory mission, returned. They had been on Svartalfheim most recently, according to their communications with Vali. He hadn’t heard from them in several days and had begun to grow concerned for their safety, so he was quite glad to see them returned in good health.

The warriors quickly approached Vali’s table and bowed deeply before him. The leader of the group stepped forward and began to speak. “My Lord, there has been a most amazing and confounding discovery and we have need to discuss it with you privately. We must go to the healing rooms immediately.”

Vali, looking confused and concerned, excused himself from the table and followed his men out of the room. Loki, noticing all, bade his wife farewell and followed behind his son. He quickly caught up with him and together they hurried to the healing rooms.

What Loki saw in the healing room horrified him and as he turned to flee from the room, he was quickly blocked by Vali’s warriors. One of them grabbed an arm and the other grabbed the back of his neck and dug his fingers tightly into his flesh. “Where do you think you are going, Silvertongue?” he asked as they dragged him over to a bed that contained a man who looked identical to Loki’s guise, though he was considerably more disheveled.

Odin sat on the bed, scowling at Loki as he was brought to him. “You thought nobody would ever find where you had hidden me,” Odin growled at his adopted son in greeting.

Vali turned to look at his father and watched as Loki turned into his normal guise. “Father…what…” he stammered.

“You have no idea how tired I was of staring at your face in the mirror every day,” Loki spat hatefully at Odin. “You should be grateful that I only stowed you away. I should have killed you when I had the chance!”

Odin’s face turned stormy. He stood up from the bed and carefully walked over to Loki, towering above the younger man. “You are lucky I do not kill you on the spot right now!” he cried. “I’d be well within my rights!” He began to pace the length of the bed, arms crossed, looking mad with anger.

“Odin, I…” Vali stammered, unsure how to handle the situation. He felt ill, knowing that his life was suddenly falling apart. The great lie they’d all lived for so long had started to unravel, with no warning, and there was no stopping it now. He looked at Odin, saw the madness in the man’s eyes, and quailed before him.

Odin turned to look into the face of the young man who had been only a small child the last time he had seen him. He placed his hands on Vali’s cheeks. “Vali, my son’s youngest son…Did you know? Did you know what your father had done?” he asked carefully.

“I…I knew only that you were gone and that Loki was pretending to be you. It was not for me to question,” Vali replied quietly, unable to look Odin in the eye. He felt an overwhelming sense of shame at being a part of Loki’s deception for so long.

“Yet you thought it was for you to become king in my stead,” Odin said calmly, his angry eyes shining. “You did not ever speak up, even when you were older. You could have said something when you were named as the heir, or at your coronation, and yet you did not. You chose to benefit from your father’s deception.” He took a deep breath and shook his head sadly. “This makes you just as guilty of treachery as your father. You are a false king, ruling under false pretenses, and a traitor to the Nine Realms.”

Vali’s eyes grew wide. “I was just a child, how could I have stopped this from happening?”

Odin shook his head sadly. “I am sorry that your father chose to involve you in his traitorous scheming, and that you must now pay restitution for your involvement,” he said coolly. “I really was quite fond of you as a child…” With that, he reached a hand out, grabbed a dagger from one of the guards, and stabbed Vali in the stomach.

Vali let out a sound as though he’d been punched in the stomach, and his knees buckled under him. His eyes grew wide as he collapsed to the floor.

“No!” Loki screamed, and struggled out of the guards’ arms. He ran to his son’s side and knelt down before him. Tears streamed down his face and he could hear Vali’s voice, and Sigyn’s in his mind. She was screaming and he knew that she was headed to the healing rooms now. “My son!”

“Remember Loki, it is you who did this to your child, not I,” Odin said calmly as he stood by and watched the scene. He folded his arms and looked satisfied, as though he’d received proper restitution for the wrongs done to him.

Vali reached out a hand and Loki grabbed it tightly. “Father, why?” he gasped as blood began to trickle out of one corner of his mouth.

Loki sobbed and wiped the blood away. “Somebody help my son!” he screamed. He rocked Vali in his arms as he had done when his son had been an infant.

Odin looked at the healers and shook his head. “No help is to be given to the false traitor king, or they shall join him,” he said. Nobody made a move to help Vali or Loki.

Loki watched as the life began to drain out of his child’s face. The pale blue of his Jotun skin began to emerge, as did the lines on his face and hands that all Jotuns have. “My son, rejoin with my soul,” he implored Vali as he rocked him gently. “We do not need to be parted eternally.”

Loki looked up as something caught his eye. Hela had fluttered into the room and hovered before him. “Get away, Hela!” he screamed as he clutched Vali against him. “His soul is mine!”

Sigyn ran into the room and screamed when her fears were confirmed. “My son!” She ran to Loki’s side and knelt down to wrap her arms around Vali. “What has happened?”

Sigyn, we must join his soul back into ours. Do not let Hela take it or we will be parted from him forever, Loki spoke directly into his Sjalsfrande’s mind.

Sigyn sobbed and joined with Loki’s soul as they reached out for Vali’s. They could see it fluttering above his body and together they called it to them. “Return to us,” they implored him.

Hela bent down to take Vali’s soul, but before she could collect it, Nari’s spirit joined with his parents. My brother! What has happened? He cannot be parted from us, he cried out from where he was on Midgard. His soul joined with his parents, and together they were strong enough to pull Vali to them, and away from Hela’s outstretched hands.

Loki, Sigyn, and Nari breathed deeply as they felt Vali’s spirit settle in with theirs, just as Vali’s body breathed its last, and died. Loki and Sigyn sobbed and clutched at his body while Hela stood up.

“You are a man of many broken promises, Allfather!” Hela cried, her blue eyes flashing with anger. “You still will not give me Valhalla! And you promised me a soul today if I helped you get out of Svartalfheim!”

“Be gone with you, Hela!” Odin roared, waving a hand towards her. “You are more trouble than you are worth.”

Loki and Sigyn grieved the loss of their son, and tried to become used to his soul filling their minds once again, just as when he had come into existence after their souls had bonded so long ago.

Sigyn was not sure if it was her thought, Loki’s, Vali’s or even Nari’s, but it became imperative to her to remove the dagger from her son’s body. “Help me,” she said as she gripped the hilt of the dagger that had slain her child. Loki held onto Vali’s body as Sigyn pulled the dagger out. She held her in her hand and her heart broke to see the familiar design. It was one she had forged recently with her father. It was now covered in her son’s blood.

Hela and Odin were still arguing as Sigyn stood up, the dagger in her hand. “I will have my soul!” Hela screamed.

Sigyn raised the dagger in both of her hands as she looked at Odin. Odin paid her no attention as she came up behind him. “You will have your soul,” she whispered.

My wife, may your aim be straight and true, Loki spoke into her head, as she stabbed Odin from behind.

“A mother may avenge her child’s death,” she growled as Odin bent forward and fell to his knees.

“You will have _his_ soul,” she said to Hela. “Do not let him into Valhalla. And now you may take that as well. You may forever torment him with that knowledge.”

“You traitorous woman!” Odin gasped as he fell onto the floor. “You will have the ultimate punishment.”

“It will have been worth it to have killed the man who killed my son,” Sigyn hissed as Odin died.

With that, the guards grabbed Sigyn and Loki and dragged them out of the room. Both were so distraught that they didn’t resist as they were taken to the throne room. Vali’s body was left behind, along with Odin’s. Sigyn’s last thought as she left the room was that she would most likely not be able to give her son a proper burial, and hoped that the healers would care for his broken, lifeless body.

Eira had been brought to the throne room as well by the time they arrived, and at the sight of Sigyn and a man she’d never seen before, both of whom were very upset, she frowned. “My mother, what has happened?” she asked. “Why are the guards holding you?”

Sigyn’s weeping grew louder as she saw her son’s wife. The part of her that was holding onto Vali wished to run to her and hold her in her arms, but she could not break loose from the grip of the guard holding onto her. “Oh my daughter, there is great chaos now,” she called out to Eira. “Our Vali has been slain!”

Eira gasped and clutched her stomach. “What? When? How? But he was just breaking his fast…Do not jest so, my mother…”

“It is true,” Sigyn replied. “But I slew the man who killed him. I have had my vengeance!”

Eira began to cry, unsure of what was happening and was startled when Thor entered the throne room. She had seen him at her wedding and at Vali’s coronation. What was he doing here now?

Thor looked over at Loki and scowled. “How could you do this, brother?” he cried as he rushed over to him. “Why did you do this? Look at all you have caused! Your son is dead! Our father is dead! And now it is on me to decide what shall be done to put this all to rights.”

“Who summoned you here, brother?” Loki asked in greeting.

“Heimdall watched everything unfold and thought it prudent to send for me. He wished to call for Nari as well, but I told Nari to stay behind. He need not be a part of this. He is innocent, whereas you and Sigyn bear all the guilt. Let one of your family remain unhurt by your actions.” He turned to look at Sigyn, tears stinging his eyes. “My sister! How could you do this to Odin? You shall have to be punished along with your husband.”

Sigyn looked into Thor’s eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “I go where he goes,” she replied. “I avenged my son’s death. I have nothing to regret.”

Thor wept silently for several minutes before sending Loki and Sigyn to the dungeons for safekeeping. “I have much to think on before casting my sentence on you both,” he said as they were dragged out of the throne room.

“And what of me? What is to become of me?” Eira whimpered after a moment. “My husband has been slain…”

Thor turned to face her. “You are innocent in any wrongdoing,” he replied. “As Vali’s widow, you are free to choose your fate. You and your child will be well cared for, and you may choose another husband for yourself one day, if you so desire.”

Eira began to sob and shook her head. “I do not wish to live without my husband!” she cried.

“I do not wish to live without my father, but we must sometimes do what we do not want to in this life,” Thor replied before turning away from her and facing the throne. “I suppose I must finally take my place upon the throne,” he said quietly to himself as Eira ran from the room. He sat down, frowning. He did not like the way the throne felt beneath him.

(SCENE)

Days passed and Thor ruminated over what to do with his brother and sister-in-law. The punishment needed to be great, for what Sigyn had done had been truly terrible. She had done the unspeakable, the greatest sin against Asgard that could ever be committed. He did not relish the idea of inflicting pain on either Loki or Sigyn, in spite of what they had done, but he knew he must. It was his duty as king, and as the one who must now avenge his father’s killer.

Finally, Thor worked up the nerve for what must be done, and called Loki and Sigyn back to the throne room to render his sentence. He watched from his throne as his brother and sister-in-law were dragged into the room by guards. He waited until they had been presented directly in front of him before he spoke to them.

“I have thought long and hard about what punishment would best suit your crimes, Sigyn, and I have decided that it must be as notorious and horrible as killing the true king of the Nine Realms,” he said slowly, not looking at either of them. “For your treachery and villainy, I sentence you to be chained under a great serpent, where you will feel the poisonous sting of its venom as it drips upon your body.” Sigyn gasped and began to scream, but Thor turned his attention to his brother. “And Loki for your treachery and deceit, I sentence you to an even worse fate—you shall watch as your wife endures her punishment. You will not have your magic to aid you, but you may do whatever you can to try and help lessen her suffering, if it is possible. If it is not, you will watch as she thrashes and cries out in pain and know that you are the cause of it all. Her pain will be yours and her suffering shall be as well…”

Loki’s jaw dropped open and he began to struggle, but the guards had slipped magic-impeding chains on his wrists and neck when he’d first been sent to the prisons, and could therefore do nothing to stop them.

“Take them to the prisons!” Thor cried after a moment, his face grim and ashen.

(SCENE)

Once in the prison cell, the very same one that Loki had been imprisoned in years before, Sigyn was stripped of her clothing so that the venom might touch more of her body and cause her more pain. Thor had ordered her put in magical chains as well since he knew of the powers she had learned from her husband. He had also ordered the guards to not defile her in any way. The guards still took their time in removing her clothes and leered at her as they tied her to a table in the center of the room. The chains were so tight that they cut into her skin when she tried to move.

“Loki! Loki, can you not save me? Can you not help me?” she called out to him.

Loki’s hands were bound together and his magic was still unusable. “My wife, I will try my best,” he called back. He watched as the guards looked at his wife’s unclothed body and wanted to kill them with his bare hands. He hated feeling helpless, especially when Sigyn suffered because of it.

The guards left them for a while before returning with a great snake tied to a perch. It was positioned so its head was bent over a bar, and its jaw was wrenched open with a metal stake. They placed the snake over Sigyn’s stomach so that the venom would drip in all directions over her body.

They left after that, and Loki and Sigyn were alone. Sigyn gasped to catch her breath and Loki rushed over to her as quickly as he could with his legs chained together. “My wife, I am so sorry,” he said, looking around for something to use to contain the venom. He found a metal goblet and picked it up carefully in his hands. He placed the goblet on her stomach, but her breathing caused it to tip over. The snake’s venom dripped very slowly, only a drop or two every few minutes, but Loki kept his hands under it the whole time. “My love, I will make sure no harm comes to you,” he promised.

“But it has,” Sigyn replied in harsh tones. “Our son is dead, and there is no greater harm than that.” She sighed and closed her eyes as though trying to block out the memory.

Loki began to cry. “I should never have been so selfish,” he said in muffled tones. “It is my fault you are here.”

“I did not have to go along with your deception for so long, or at all,” Sigyn gasped as she too began to weep.

Loki watched as a drop of venom fell into the goblet. It was dark brown and looked toxic. He wondered how long they would be able to keep this up. He vowed to himself that he wouldn’t fail Sigyn again.

As the days passed, guards brought food to their cell twice a day and Loki lovingly and carefully fed Sigyn before eating anything himself. He helped her drink water and bathed her as best as he could with tied hands that also had to hold the goblet over her stomach. At times they caught moments of sleep. There were no words spoken between them, they merely did their best to survive.

After a length of time that Loki could not determine, he noticed that the serpent began to drip venom more frequently. It became harder to keep Sigyn safe from it when he had to remove the goblet occasionally to drain it. At those times, drops of venom would fall onto her stomach, sending searing hot pain through her entire body. She would shudder and scream and Loki would as well, for her could feel her pain as though it was his own body experiencing it.

The first time a drop of venom had fallen on her, she had shrieked and thrashed so hard that her chains had cut into her wrists and ankles. Loki had fallen to his knees in shock from the impact of her pain coursing through his body. He’d managed to get up and back to her in time to catch the next drop. “My love, I am so sorry,” he gasped before he bent down to kiss her. It took nearly an hour for her to stop crying.

The venom was still dripping slowly enough that Sigyn could recover from the pain before Loki had to drain the goblet again. He would return to her side as quickly as he could and do his best to brush away her tears and calm her down again from the excruciating pain. The venom left her skin raw and over time there were red burn marks on her stomach and breasts that never faded.

But eventually, Loki could no longer tell the passage of time. It might have been days or months or years, the venom slowly started to drip more rapidly. The amount of time between emptying the goblet decreased significantly until he could no longer stop her screams, and she writhed in agony constantly. She could no longer eat or drink, and was unable to sleep. The red burn marks on her stomach grew in size and slowly broke open, so the venom now fell on open, exposed flesh, causing her more pain than she’d ever experienced before.

Loki watched helplessly as she shuddered and cried out on the table. His brother had been right, it was far worse torture then being the one to experience the venom himself. Her pain flooded his mind and body as well and made it difficult for him to hold the goblet for her.

“Loki! Loki!” Sigyn cried out one day. She was blind with pain and could hardly form words. “Loki, I wish to die. This must end!” she screamed before shuddering so hard it shook the table beneath her.

Tears filled Loki’s eyes. “My wife, you mustn’t say such things,” he implored her. “Perhaps Thor will end this punishment and set us free.”

“I wish to be free now!” Sigyn gasped.

Loki looked down at the nearly-full goblet of venom and knew that in seconds he would have to drain it. How much longer could Sigyn take the pain? How much longer could he? Even if he did help put her out of her misery, how much longer would he have to live without her in his life? He did not want to live without Sigyn at his side.

“My husband, you know what you must do!” Sigyn said firmly, looking him in his eyes and seeing past her pain to look at her handsome husband one final time. “Please, do it.”

Loki looked down at the now-full goblet and gave an anguished cry. He did not want it to end, this life with her, but the pain she was experiencing was too much for anybody to bear. “My Sjalsfrande, I love you, and I shall join you shortly,” he said as tears streamed down his face. He moved the goblet away from Sigyn’s stomach and brought it up to her lips.

Sigyn drank deeply of the goblet, choking down several mouthfuls of the venom before turning her face away from her husband. She gasped as the poison began to burn her insides, just as the venom that dripped onto her body burned her from the outside.

Sigyn was screaming and convulsing as Loki brought the half-drained goblet up to his own mouth and downed the rest of the poison in one sip. He cried out and dropped the goblet on the floor before collapsing there himself.

All either of them knew for some time, was unending, unbearable pain. Their screams pierced the air and grew so loud that it shook the entire prison cell and shattered the glass casing that had enclosed them for such a long time. Their bodies shook so hard that the table under Sigyn broke and she fell at her husband’s side. The floor underneath them cracked and the cracks began to spread throughout the dungeons.

Suddenly, Sigyn’s pain stopped. She opened her eyes and saw herself below on the floor. Loki was at her side now too, looking down at himself. Vali was with them as well. They watched as their bodies stopped breathing with great shudders.

“Have we died?” Sigyn asked.

“I believe so,” Loki replied with a sigh of relief. “I am glad the pain has ended.”

The joined souls watched as the cracks in the floor spread up to the walls and the ceiling above them collapsed. Their empty bodies were now buried under rocks and stones that had once been the prison cell. The cracks continued and soon they saw that the entire palace was breaking apart and falling on everybody who was inside. The cracks continued outside the palace as well. The Bifrost once again cracked and shattered into dust, and Heimdall’s station fell into the vast ocean below. All the land in all of Asgard quickly broke apart and every structure collapsed. There were cries from people throughout the realm, but nobody could heed them, for they were all dying as well. It did not take long for it all to be over, and then all was silent.

(EPILOGUE)

Hela walked among the rubble that had once been Asgard, a smile upon her face as she gathered all the souls to her side. It had taken many trips so far, and would take many more before she had found them all. Among the rubble were items she recognized, but had no interest in. Mjolnir, the hammer Odin and Thor had been so fond of, sat wedged in between pieces of the throne that had been crushed and ground up under the weight of the palace that had fallen on top of it. She had attempted to lift it, but it had not moved. She wondered if there would ever be another person worthy of wielding its weight or if it would become buried over the remains of this last age of Asgard and a new realm would be forged and grow atop it, its power forever forgotten.

Hela cared not for such things, however. She had been seeking a soul that had as yet eluded her, but she could sense it was nearby. After walking out of what had been the throne room and out of the crumbled palace, she saw the object of her desire glinting in the sun. It was larger than she had anticipated, and she approached it slowly so as not to scare it away. “It always ends like this,” she said aloud to herself as she bent down and picked up her quarry. The soul was bigger, of course, because it was three combined together. It was not aware of her actions, or anything in the outer world, for it would only be aware of the presence of themselves. She held it up to take a close look and could see the three distinct souls. Loki’s was dark, a shade of blue she could not put a name to. Sigyn’s was red, at times fiery when the light hit it just right, at times muted, almost pink. And Vali’s, a peaceful green that undulated when she moved it. In the center, the three came together and were completely indistinct. She placed it in her pocket for safe-keeping and walked back towards the entrance to her realm. The other souls would keep and there was somebody she needed to speak with.

The Scion of Asgard awaited to be told the news that he was now the one who would rebuild his realm. He was now king. Our father would be so proud to know this, Hela thought to herself as she walked through her dark realm. Of course, Nari will grow old and be long dead before Loki is ever born, so he will never know…She chuckled to herself at this thought as she approached the entrance to Midgard. She wondered what Nari would think when she promised to heal his body so that he would become the father of a new race of beings in the greatest of all the Nine Realms. It was not as though he had a choice, but she would of course make him think that he did.


End file.
